Persistent barriers to broadband expansion need to be removed

In April of last year, I wrote in The Missouri Times about the importance of accelerating broadband deployment and the need for more widespread high--speed Internet access in Bollinger County, which ranks among the least connected counties in Missouri. Since then we have achieved some real progress, like the $400 million American Rescue Plan Act investment in broadband, which the state tapped in 2021, as well as a $15 million pole replacement fund created last year. We now need to build on this momentum by removing the remaining barriers holding up broadband expansion in Bollinger County.

Already, three Internet service providers -- Wisper, Charter Communications and Conexon -- have received grant funding and shown eagerness to begin building out their local networks. In fact, Wisper is moving Bollinger County up on their broadband installation schedule and Charter is actively working to begin deploying fiber-to-the-home service in the northern part of the county.

Unfortunately, there are certain parties standing in the way.

The process for attaching network infrastructure to utility poles remains one of the most persistent challenges that broadband providers face in communities like Bollinger County. To commence work, the pole owners and broadband providers must reach a pole attachment agreement. This is a necessary but oftentimes cumbersome process that delays progress. Occasionally, the work is halted entirely due to unreasonable demands placed on broadband providers by the pole owners. One such case is currently unfolding in southern Bollinger County.

Ozark Border, an electric co-op and pole owner, is refusing to negotiate in good faith for access to its local poles. Based on their demands, it's quite clear that Ozark Border is not serious about helping get Missourians Internet access. If they don't come to the table, projects could be further delayed or abandoned entirely, leaving unserved Bollinger County residents with no way to get connected.

There are alternative deployment methods that broadband providers could pursue that avoid the need for utility poles, such as undergrounding fiber networks. Compared to using utility poles, undergrounding can cost tens of thousands of dollars more per mile of network infrastructure, and permitting for street excavations or environmental impact studies take more time. Costs and delays like that are enough to disincentivize the pursuit of a robust broadband expansion plan.

Providers are ready to invest to deliver network access to Bollinger County residents and thousands of other Missourians, but it's unlikely that will happen if Ozark Border or other pole owners refuse to reach reasonable agreements on utility pole attachments. As a member of the Bollinger County Broadband Task Force, I've worked tirelessly to get our residents connected as fast as possible, and Ozark Border's apparent refusal to collaborate on those efforts is disheartening.

In order for unserved Missourians to benefit from the substantial resources the state has devoted to modernizing our broadband infrastructure, the necessary projects must commence in a timely manner with all involved parties working together. I urge leaders at Ozark Border to put their customers first and help us prioritize fast, fair and efficient deployment of broadband. Otherwise, too many unserved Bollinger County residents will continue to remain on the wrong side of the digital divide.

Becky Wiginton is the president of the Bollinger County Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Bollinger County Broadband Task Force.