The Free Lance–Star: County creates broadband authority:
Spotsylvania may follow King George into the age of wireless broadband Internet. The Board of Supervisors recently approved a measure that lays the groundwork for a wireless broadband service authority.
With permission to form and hold a public hearing, the authority can now take steps toward creating public-private partnerships that would build a wireless broadband network in the county. Although it has not yet been funded, county supervisors have approved $10,000 for a consultant to help the wireless broadband authority navigate the State Corporation Commission’s requirements for approval.
[…]
Because of low population density, patches of western and southern Spotsylvania are not served by cable companies, and are not eligible for DSL service from phone companies. The wireless system would offer an alternative to dial-up for those residents.
Hey, that sounds familiar, doesn’t it?
[…]
He [Spotsylvania County Director of Information Services Brian Scott] believes that county residents will benefit from the increased availability of the Internet, as well as increased competition between providers. County services like the Sheriff’s Department and Fire Department could also benefit from countywide Internet coverage.
Oh quiet you, everyone knows that isn’t important. We have a YMCA and a visitors center to worry about.
Oh! Don’t forget about the cannery!
It took King George more than a year to get through the planning stage, and it will take time for any system to get up and running in Spotsylvania, but Scott hopes to use the template created by King George to expedite the process of partnering with a provider.
Meanwhile, Caroline County twiddles its thumbs…
Hey, Tim, I live in “Spotsyltucky.”
Besides, what on God’s green earth is a local government faced with a budget shortfall doing shelling out dough for something like this?
Hey, I know. I remember the comment about Bobby Orrock. :)
I would argue that the broadband service would help with economic development. A lot of the populated (and unpopulated) areas in Caroline lack any high-speed internet service (besides satellite [which I have *shudder*]) and some people and businesses need high-speed for their work.
Heck, I don’t know about Spotsylvania but Caroline shells out millions for the water and waste systems and they call it “economic development”.