My daily reading normally includes something related to Broadband. This past week was no different but there were two articles I found interesting that I wanted to share.
In April of this year I wrote an article about how FCC Broadband deployment maps were populated by industry-provided data that is highly inaccurate and how it can hinder investment in the expansion of broadband infrastructure into under served areas.
One article I read was titled “FCC’s broadband deployment report called “fundamentally at odds with reality” on TechCrunch.com. Link to the article in the title name. This article lays out the primary reason the County Commission is very supportive of the Elmore County Economic Development Authority (ECEDA) and the Broadband Access Study they have commissioned which is currently being conducted in Elmore county.
The second article is on Yellowhammer.com (Link) which explains two Broadband related bills passed by our State Legislature this session.
One bill of interest was HB400 which allows electricity providers to use existing easements for the purpose of delivering broadband. This was a Bill that I, and other Elmore county leaders supported and will allow our electricity providers to install lines carrying a broadband signal in the areas where they currently have right of way to install lines carrying electricity.
The county commission continues to work closely with ECEDA to see that Broadband service is expanded in Elmore county. Once ECEDA’s Broadband Access Study is completed, it will be a vital recruiting tool to use in that effort. The resolution to this problem will most likely be a multi-year project and in my role as County Commissioner I will continue to keep this a top priority in Elmore County.