Broadband committee looks at grants to fund increased internet access

HURLEY — While more information is needed to see whether its a viable option, the Gogebic Range Broadband Committee discussed applying for grants from the state of Wisconsin to expand broadband internet access to Iron County residents at the committee’s Wednesday meeting.

While there are several options and funding levels that could be pursued, the committee’s consensus seemed to be to pursue “the low-hanging fruit” and choose the option that requires the least investment and expense while serving as many people as possible.

With this goal in mind, three options emerged: first would be to install equipment on existing towers in the Saxon and Anderson area and extend coverage through to the area as well as around the Gile Flowage, second would be to put equipment on the radio towers in Hurley and extend coverage through the Gile Flowage area and a third would be to look into getting access to the tower in Pine Lake area and expand toward Mercer.

The Saxon/Anderson option emerged from the meeting as likely the best choice to pursue with grant funding, as the county already owns the towers. Hurley was also a popular option, however, it was unclear as to who owned the towers. The Pine Lake option was deemed the last option for pursuing through grants because the Department of Natural Resources owns the tower — although the county is exploring the possibility of acquiring it — and its range would serve enough homes that Brandon Yuchasz with GogebicRange.net said his company was considering pursuing using the tower for broadband access without the county’s assistance.

The grants, which have a Sept. 30 deadline, require a 50 percent local match.

Will Andresen, with the University of Wisconsin’s Iron County Extension Office, said the best option to convince people to fund the infrastructure improvements necessary to expand broadband access is by highlighting the economic benefits the improved access would bring.

He highlighted several results from a survey completed by area residents to demonstrate the potential economic impact broadband could have.

According to the survey, of the 803 property owners that returned the survey: 347 said they would likely telecommute from Iron County. Of the seasonal residents that responded, 171 said they would spend more time in Iron County if service was “adequate and 162 respondents said they would “start or move a business to Iron County.”

“These survey results clearly demonstrate that by investing in better broadband, we are not only serving existing residents, businesses and schools, but we are also investing in our future economy,” committee Chairman Norm McKindles said in a release announcing the results. “People will spend more time here, spending more money in the local economy and supporting local businesses. ... People want to live here and build businesses here because of our quality of life. If we can improve our internet access, we will make it much easier for them to do so.”

Complicating the committee’s task, however, is the changing definition of what Internet speeds constituted broadband, explained McKindles.

According to McKindles, the federal government recently changed the requirements from 4 to 25 megabits for download speeds and 1 to 3 megabits for upload speeds.

While Yuchasz told the other committee members during the meeting that there was new technology around the corner that would enable higher speeds, McKindles said the goal line would likely continue to move

“It’s like the ghost you are chasing all the time. By the time you catch it, there is a new ghost,” McKindles told the Daily Globe after the meeting.

The committee will meet again at 11 a.m. on Wednesday to further determine which — if any, as permission to use the towers would need to be secured in each case — of the three options can reasonably be pursued before moving forward with the grant process.