Sen. Gooch Discusses Subcommittee Findings

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DAHLONEGA, Ga. — A joint state legislative subcommittee has been traveling the state the last month, meeting with broadband providers and their customers in search of an economically feasible way to bring high-speed internet to Georgia’s rural communities. When the meetings are finished, the subcommittee will present its findings and make recommendations to the General Assembly when it re-convenes early next year.

Fetch Your News wanted to find out what legislators have learned thus far and if they are any closer to a solution. Tuesday, we sat down with State Senator Steve Gooch (R-Dahlonega) who is co-chairman of the subcommittee.

What we learned first and foremost is that expanding broadband to reach the rural areas of counties like White, Dawson and Lumpkin is economically challenging, to say the least.

Gooch explained the problem this way. “Low density areas of the state make it difficult for private, for-profit utility providers to justify to their stockholders the investment of hundreds of millions of dollars to their broadband infrastructure when the low return on investment is not in accordance to their business model.”

Simply put, extending fiber optic cable another mile or so to reach very few homes is just not cost effective.

But Gooch added that the meetings have been productive.

“Some of the entrepreneurism that’s coming to the surface has been encouraging,” he said. “Smaller companies are coming forward with new technology that provides wireless solutions, even dish network and some of the satellite companies are starting to get more creative in how to deploy internet through their systems for TV. We think the technology is changing so fast, in the future we may see total wireless solutions instead of just hard wired fiber optics. So, we’re looking at those opportunities and hopefully our final report will show some good recommendations on how we should proceed.”

Gooch was referring to companies like Mobilitie which provides services to wireless carriers, as well as traditional providers like Windstream and North Georgia Network (NGN) that could increase their service to end users.

Speaking at the joint subcommittee meeting at the University of North Georgia last week, Mobilitie spokesman Roger Simpson said his company has had great success in Georgia so far but added that a challenge he faces is working with the Department of Transportation to get their permission to deploy equipment in their right of way.

Another company that offers some hope for the future is Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association (SBCA), which provides advocacy for consumers and access to satellite-delivered services. Rural and under served markets are their target market. The company has grown from 450,000 to 1.7 million customers in just the last eight years. The company is nearing its capacity and is currently offering its service to businesses only. But SBCA does have future plans for expansion.

 

For now, Gooch says too many communities are falling further behind in broadband upgrades in rural areas and customers are unhappy with their providers.

“We have heard from a lot of constituents who are frustrated, upset and concerned about the level of good broadband connectivity, they receive, primarily for business and development purposes. I hope we can see some improvement from providers like Windstream. They’re telling me they’re working on some of the worst places and most troubled areas where there are the most interruptions and slowest speeds.

“We hope they will go ahead and invest the needed funds to make the system better. A lot of people in this area are upset not only because of the slow speed but interruptions are frequent and they lose internet daily and sometimes it takes days to get it back. “We’re looking at what we can do to incentivise companies to invest in rural America, not just the bigger areas like Atlanta and the suburbs where there is a lot of density.”

 

 

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