Rural US towns – left out by broadband – build their own
More than 300 communities consider launching local high-speed Internet service.
from the June 7, 2007 edition
Page 3 of 3
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Rural residents need high-speed Internet for better access to medical care, government services, and education, say local officials. It's also become essential for rural businesses, they argue.
"The first thing these companies want is to have high-speed Internet access," says Robert Bridges, mayor of Rushville, Ind., a central Indiana town that has installed its own fiber-optic network. "Without that, it's difficult to entice anyone to move into the community."
Not everyone supports these local initiatives. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) says at least 19 states regulate or ban government-operated Internet services. But such legislation has failed in other states. State Sen. David Ford, who represents a mainly rural area, helped defeat a ban in Indiana. "I'm really a pro-business, conservative politician, but ... there is an argument to do this for an economic development reason," he says.
In Sullivan, officials say they tried several years ago to persuade the local telephone company to provide broadband Internet. The company agreed – but only if Sullivan paid the installation costs. The town did not shrink from going ahead on its own. Like many rural communities, it had been providing electric power to its residents since before World War II.
In April, the FCC announced an inquiry into whether broadband Internet was reaching all Americans "in a reasonable and timely fashion."
In Sullivan, officials say wireless transmitters have been delivered, but the community is still negotiating for bandwidth (it costs more than they thought), and looking for experts to turn to if they encounter problems. They have a powerful incentive to do well.
"It's a small town," Short says. "People know where to find you."
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