Introduction and Background
planning is important for any region with a large number of jurisdictions, in order to encourage cooperation and
collaboration between them.
Like other counties along the I-4 Corridor, Polk County has experienced rapid population growth over the past
decade. From 2000 to 2010, Polk County’s population grew by 24.4 percent, compared to 23.9 percent for all the
I-4 Corridor counties combined and 17.6 percent for the State of Florida4 (see Table 2). This pattern of growth is
projected to continue in Polk County, and the county is also flanked by fast-growing major metropolitan areas to
the northeast (the Orlando area) and to the west (the Tampa Bay area). Polk County’s population has also grown
rapidly compared to other inland counties to the south, in the region known as Heartland Florida5, where the
2000-2010 population growth was only 10.6 percent. When growth occurs as rapidly as it has in Polk County,
planning—including broadband planning—is essential for preserving quality of life and opportunities for all
people.
Table 2. I-4 Corridor Population Growth, 2000-2010
2000
2010
Percent Change
2000-2010
Hillsborough County
998,948
1,229,226
23.1%
Orange County
896,344
1,145,956
27.8%
Osceola County
172,493
268,685
55.8%
Polk County
483,924
602,095
24.4%
Seminole County
365,196
422,718
15.8%
Volusia County
443,343
494,593
11.6%
Total for I-4 Corridor
3,360,248
4,163,273
23.9%
Florida
15,982,378
18,801,310
17.6%
There are numerous institutions of higher education in Polk County, granting undergraduate and graduate
degrees: Florida Southern College, Polk State College, Southeastern University, the University of South Florida’s
Lakeland campus (scheduled to close in 2015), Warner University, Webber International University, and other
private colleges. Florida Polytechnic, a newly created state university, is scheduled to open in 2013. Education is
critical to quality of life, and broadband is critical to education. Broadband planning is necessary to ensure that
the educational institutions in the county (not only the colleges and universities, but also K-12 schools) have
access to the best bandwidth possible.
As such, the county has considerable potential to develop and sustain a vibrant economy and a world-class
quality of life. However, sound infrastructure planning is necessary for the county to live up to this potential,
adapt to economic changes, and keep up with the anticipated growth.
4 U.S. Census Bureau American FactFinder. http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml
5 DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Okeechobee Counties.
18