ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) - Some individuals are taking matters into their own hands when it comes to extending broadband's reach in rural Missouri.
In one instance, a legislator plans to propose bringing computers and Internet service into all senior citizen nutrition centers, the St. Joseph News-Press (http://bit.ly/1F40JRF) reported. The purpose is to engage those who frequent the sites into political issues that impact their age group, and provide downloadable consumer discounts.
Elsewhere, a Caldwell County businessman has chosen to spend company funds to assure broadband access. The $1,400 to $1,500 used monthly means Internet data speeds of 50MB per second is available at the warehouse for Missouri Star Quilt Co. in Hamilton, Missouri.
"We did it," said Alan Doan, the business's co-owner. "It's in existence. We're just spending an arm and a leg to have it."
DSL that Missouri Star Quilt had been using kept going out, according to Doan.
"Running a small business in a small town is very hard," he added.
Both efforts point to a lack of development for broadband in parts of northwest Missouri. A related project led by state government has gone dormant, leaving some smaller communities devoid of Internet connectivity.
One seemingly anti-broadband measure floated before the Missouri General Assembly this year failed to gain traction. Opponents said the Senate bill would have made it more difficult for rural governments to expand the services.
One organization is attempting to extend broadband's reach to all areas. The Mo-Kan Regional Council came out against the bill.
"Our biggest reason is we see a demand for rural broadband," said Tom Bliss, its executive director.
Many communities still struggle to obtain quality broadband, Bliss said.
"We think it's important from an economic development standpoint to level the playing field with large communities," he added.
The council hopes to rely on grant funds to bridge the gap. An application was submitted this spring, with assistance from United Electric Cooperative Inc. and Tech Team in St. Joseph, in which bandwidth would be purchased from the cooperative. Tech Team would manage the project. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development program leading to the work requires $150,000 in matching funds.
Bliss said word on the application is expected sometime in the next two months.
Progress is necessary, he said, in light of constantly rising data transmission speeds. Some providers may find out they can no longer provide a service, he said. Approval also would bring the Internet to under-served school districts, allowing students to conduct research and complete homework assignments via computers. The aid would also flow to emergency management providers.
A state project dubbed MoBroadbandNow has gone on hiatus, Bliss said. The initiative was a priority for many officials who participated in rural economic development.
Another option could come in the form of user fee revenue by the Federal Communications Commission. That money is to be released to states, he said, to expand broadband networks. The presence of a plan would show Missouri is ready to deploy its share once the funds become available.
Development of a public safety broadband service known as FirstNet could lend momentum to the rural sector, Bliss said.