Broadband network to launch around June 1, Big River says

Due to a source error, a unit of measurement has been changed in this story.

FARMINGTON, Mo. -- Big River's new 4G LTE broadband network will be ready for customers in some areas this summer.

As it gears up to launch this $33 million network, the company celebrated the grand opening of Big River Broadband's headquarters in a renovated fire station in downtown Farmington.

The event included demonstrations of applications possible on the network and an update from Gov. Jay Nixon on the MoBroadbandNow initiative.

"Ensuring access to broadband in every school and every businesses and every hospital and every public safety agency isn't a luxury. To meet the future, it is a necessity," Nixon said.

Over the next few years, Missouri will see an investment of more than $310 million to complete 17 broadband projects across the state, including Big River's.

Since last year, 22 wireless broadband towers have been installed throughout the seven-county area the network will serve. A total of 58 will be constructed.

"We're testing them as we turn them on, but the network is not completely ready to go yet," Big River president Kevin Cantwell said. "We are going to turn on the most populated areas first."

Big River Broadband's network will serve Washington, St. Francois, Ste. Genevieve, Madison, Perry, Bollinger and Cape Girardeau counties.

Cantwell declined to say which areas will receive service first but said it will be available in some areas around June 1. Potential customers can stay up-to-date on the network's construction progress at www.bigriverbroadband.com.

The company's 4G LTE service promises higher speeds and less lag time.

It will offer download speeds of five to six megabits per second, said Grant Rose, director of Alcatel Lucent's end-user engagement team, who conducted the network application demonstrations.

Big River has partnered with Alcatel Lucent, a Paris-based networking and communications technology company, on its broadband project.

Rose took groups into a trailer where all four walls were lined with display screens to showcase applications for education, business and public safety that can be used on Big River's new network.

Cantwell said this network will help Southeast Missouri's children and businesses compete in a global environment.

"You need to understand how technology can cannibalize your business and you'd better start doing it tomorrow, because if you don't somebody else will. Borders realizes Amazon.com isn't a river in South America and Blockbuster knows who Netflix is because technology changed the way they do business," Cantwell said.

When it comes to building Big River Broadband's retail locations, Cantwell is taking a mobile approach.

He plans to gut an airport shuttle bus and convert it into a retail store on wheels.

"Our responsibility is to go to the customers. We'll take our mobile retail location, drive it out and spend four or five days in that community. Then we'll take it to the next one," Cantwell said.

Big River Broadband will eventually have several retail locations, but the first couple will be mobile, he said.

The project is funded by a $12 million grant and $12 million loan as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, also known as the stimulus package adopted by Congress in 2009.

So far, six employees have been hired at Big River Broadband, but Cantwell said they expect to hire about 70 total. Hiring is ongoing and job descriptions are available on the company's website, he said.

In addition to providing jobs at Big River, the network will serve as an economic development tool, Nixon said.

"Regions that are lit up, like this is going to do, have a competitive advantage over other regions," he said.

mmiller@semissourian.com

388-3646

Pertinent address:

Farmington, MO