The iPad and other future technology should be easier to use with expansion of broadband Internet service in Kenosha County.

While the federal government last month rejected Kenosha County’s $5 million application for money to build such service, officials plan to apply again in a new round of funding.

David Geertsen, county Division of Financial Services director, said the new Apple device, available in April, and similar devices require a healthy amount of bandwidth to operate at their best.

Expansion would help with that as well as bring the service to an estimated 30 percent to 40 percent of the county that doesn’t have it, he said.

“When you think of the trillions of elements of data that have to flow through bandwidth for all the things you can read on iPads, and what you need to have access to everything online, this would be beneficial,” he said.

The iPad taps into the Internet, e-mail, YouTube, podcasts, television shows, movie rentals, iTunes U, audiobooks and other electronic activities.

Geertsen said he’d try to determine from the government why the first application was not accepted. The Jan. 19 rejection letter had no explanation other than the county’s paperwork didn’t score high enough.

Geertsen said if the reason for the rejection is revealed, local officials would consider that in submitting the second application, due by mid-March.

The county plans to borrow $1.3 million to enhance broadband service for law enforcement whether or not it gets the funding.

The county’s involvement in broadband is to help arrange the equipment set-up, and companies then would sell the service to the public.

The expanded broadband service would include installing fiber-optic lines connecting to what’s already available, and to 11 towers, two of which are owned by the county. Geertsen said the county would have to obtain rights to use the other towers.

Most county buildings have had broadband installed through a recent, 20-year agreement, including the Kenosha Unified School District and Gateway Technical College.

Geertsen said Brighton Dale and Petrifying Springs golf courses will have the service by mid-February as part of the joint effort.