Update on broadband service in Sublette County
by Albert Sommers, House District #20 Representative
November 23, 2016
Hello Sublette County, this is Albert Sommers reporting to you on discussions the last two weeks regarding broadband service in Sublette County. Although Sublette County has no interstate, railroad, or commercial air service to support new businesses, we can support new business in the 21st century if we have high quality broadband. Good internet is not just important down our main streets, but must reach out into the subdivisions around the county. Employees will not move to an area if their families cannot access high speed internet in their homes. Internet service in the county has not been reliable, and I have had numerous complaints about its shortcomings.
I have contacted the Governor’s office and the Wyoming Business Council in an effort to push for better internet service in Sublette County and rural Wyoming. In the last two weeks, I have convened meetings and met with internet providers in the region to assess what is available to our county, and to hear expansion plans from these internet providers. Every provider we talked to had an interest in Sublette County, and in potential private/public partnerships.
Lincoln County has set an example with such a partnership. It utilized a Wyoming Business Council grant to help put fiber conduit in the ground to Kemmerer. Allwest, a broadband provider, partnered with Lincoln County on the grant and supplied the fiber and service for the project.
The Wyoming Business Council is evaluating hiring a consultant to map what the internet infrastructure looks like in the region, and to provide decision makers in Sublette County with options to consider. We intend to continue engaging internet providers in the region to better understand what is available, and look for potential solutions. Stay posted. Based upon our conversations with providers, more internet availability is on the horizon.
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