The local fight to get broadband: Coalition forming, next meeting September 8
by Trinity Gruenberg
If the pandemic has shown us anything, it is the need for better internet in our area as many have had to work from home, distance learn, and receive electronic telehealth services.
Alex Weego of the Hewitt City Council has been forming the Northwest Todd County Broadband Coalition with neighboring towns and townships in hopes of getting fiber to the area sooner rather than later. Fiber is a broadband connection using fiber optic cables that can send data at a much higher rate of speed when using electronic devices.
A meeting was held at the Hewitt Community Center on August 4 with potential coalition members to discuss the options to get fiber to our local area. Weego explained he has been working on this for years and Arvig wasn’t planning on doing anything in this area for the next five years.
The federal legislature is preparing an infrastructure bill with $64 million on the line for rural infrastructure.
“We want to make sure it gets to where it needs to go and that is rural broadband development. . .