County broadband committee meets
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PRESCOTT – Nevada County’s broadband committee met Friday and was updated on what’s going on in the world of broadband for Prescott and Nevada County.
First up were representatives from South Central Connect. The company just passed 6,000 total subscribers and is on track to start signing customers up inside the Prescott city limits. The goal is to do this by mid-September, though the worst case scenario will be Oct. 1. Drew Schaeffer, general manager with SSC, said the company ran into some issues and had to get some things worked out, but is now on track to start signing people in town up.
He said the first customers in the county were those who were members of the South Central Electrical Cooperative, as they were the priority, and also owners of the company. He pointed out SSC owns its own poles and is geared more toward rural areas than municipalities as they need it most. However, the company branched out after seeing the need in Prescott and north of Interstate 30. SSC is still gathering data north of the interstate but does plan to offer internet to residents in that area eventually. Schaeffer said the company is trying to be efficient with its time and money and getting people in clumps first.
Chad Launius, with Cablelynx, pointed out the company has been in business for 123 years, though initially in the newspaper business. However, WEHCO media, the parent company, has been involved with cable TV for 58 years and has moved into internet services. He said the company uses grants where possible and Nevada County is basically a target area for grants, as is part of Hempstead County, through the Department of Commerce.
The broadband office, he said, is handling the grants and WEHCO media has been awarded more than $20 million to provide broadband internet to customers in Hempstead and Nevada counties. Phase V will be done by the end of the year. Though $1 billion was earmarked for broadband in the state, Launius said he doesn’t expect there to be anything left over when all’s said and done because of the increased cost of materials. The state’s goal is to have broadband in all homes by 2028 and will likely spend $1.46 billion in the next six months to get this done.
Danny Stewart, a member of the committee, pointed out there are three internet companies providing service with 100 down and 20 up in the county – South Central Connetc, Walnut Hill and Cablelynx.