DEWAYNE HOLLOWAY,dewayne@mcnews.online
Death, taxes and slow or no internet access. These are the things residents of Montgomery County can depend upon. Justin Neel is working with ARCO in Action to at least remove slow or no internet access from this equation.
Neel shared that he has been working toward filing a grant proposal with USDA that would help fund improvements to the county’s broadband infrastructure. The USDA has a grant called Rural Connect which is designed to assist rural areas like Montgomery County to provide better internet access to the community. The cap on the grant is $400 million. Neel stressed that this could be a big step in bringing better internet access to the county.
Neel understands that the biggest obstacle regarding internet access is actually one of the reasons many choose to live in the area. As a rural community, Montgomery County provides a level of distance that brings peace to many. Unfortunately, the rural nature of the area also hinders widespread internet access. Many residents and visitors rely heavily on cell phone access which can be limited due to a lack of towers available in the county.
The recent COVID-19 crisis has brought an added sense of urgency to the need for better internet access as schools adapt to educate students in the midst of quarantines and blended learning experiences.
Neel stated that students living in a rural area shouldn’t be denied access because they don’t fit within a corporate scheme. He added that he believes internet access is an infrastructure issue and should be treated as such.
“What we don’t want is a generation of under educated individuals falling through the cracks and that is what happens when we don’t take action to deal with their needs.” Neel stated.
Neel became involved with bringing better broadband access to the community through involvement in ARCO in Action. ARCO, or Arkansas Coalition for the Ouachitas, is a regional economic development group working to improve opportunities in Montgomery, Polk and Scott Counties. He began working to find a solution to the broadband problem about a year ago.
He admits that finding someone willing to work with the area was difficult, but he was able to make contact with a member of the governmental affairs office at Windstream Communications about three months ago. Neel has since been working toward a partnership with Windstream that would bring wider access to broadband rural areas within the county.
A Zoom meeting was recently held with grant writers from Senator John Boozman, Senator Tom Cotton and Representative Bruce Westerman’s offices to discuss the issue. Local school officials were also involved in the call. All parties pledged their support to the grant writing process.
The USDA Rural Connect grant offers financial support to help Montgomery County officials work with Windstream and other companies to bring better access. Neel stated that he is excited about the progress that has been made, but he understands this is a slow process. He did share that the COVID-19 crisis could help speed up the process.
Neel stated that one of the biggest obstacles for moving forward is the lack of an electric cooperative in the area. He explained that many areas who have been awarded the USDA grant had locally controlled electric cooperatives to work alongside. He added that they often use existing infrastructure and having a locally owned electric cooperative makes the process easier. Montgomery County’s electrical service is provided by Entergy, a privately owned company. Neel stated that they are a big company and things move slower.
This doesn’t disqualify Montgomery County from the grant, but it is an item to consider during negotiations. Neel stated that Windstream hasn’t committed to the project yet, but they have shared that the are excited about the possibilities.
Neel pointed out that this is about more than students. He stated that by providing better access for students the community is improved which improves the state.
Neel shared that many of the grants available for any rural broadband project requires matching funds. Counties can use in kind labor as a way to offset matching funds. The deadline for the USDA grant is August 15. There is a request for proposal submitted to Windstream. Similar request for proposals have been submitted to other entities through congressional channels. He added that they will be negotiating right of access to all equipment which will provide opportunities to partner with other companies in the future.
After proposals are received they would like to meet with the quorum court and the public before the USDA grant proposal is filed.
Neel wanted to thank the Ouachita River School District and the Mount Ida School District for sharing their needs and issues related to the need for better broadband access.