News
2/25/2010
UPDATE: Deadline extended until March 19 to send in letters to support Co-Mo's broadband project
TO HELP CO-MO WITH THIS PROJECT download this file for instructions.
UPDATE: (March 3, 2010) The federal government has extended the deadline for grant applications as part of the second round of stimulus funding. The new deadline is March 29.
Because of that, Co-Mo is extending its deadline by which it will accept letters of support for its broadband project until March 19.
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Tipton, Mo (Feb. 24, 2010) — Co-Mo Electric Cooperative today announced the beginning of a process that could bring ultra-fast broadband Internet to its members.
The project, if funded, would bring fiber-optic technology to every home and business in Co-Mo’s service territory, creating the backbone for a cutting-edge system that would deliver high-speed broadband Internet and other related technologies. Co-Mo’s territory encompasses one of the most underserved areas in the state.
The first step in the process is for Co-Mo to apply for a grant through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The cooperative is working with Pulse Broadband, a St. Louis-based company that wrote the grant won in January by Ralls County Electric Cooperative in eastern Missouri., during the first round of stimulus funding.
“This fiber-to-the-home project will be a game-changer for Co-Mo members,” said Ken Johnson, Co-Mo’s general manager/CEO. “This will allow our rural area to leapfrog urban areas in the type of connectivity we have to the wider world. It also sets the stage for future developments in smart-grid technologies that will help our members conserve energy and save money on their electric bill.”
The project will also create a boost for employment in the area. Should the grant be successful and the project advance, construction of the fiber-optic network would provide up to 75 new jobs throughout Co-Mo’s territory over the three-year construction period. There would be additional permanent jobs created for things such as technicians and customer service representatives once the network is operational.
Beyond that, the fiber-optic backbone would be a major draw to businesses and residents who would potentially move to the area.
“What you hear in the residential market is that broadband connectivity is becoming an increasingly important factor. Many homebuyers won’t even look at a home without high-speed Internet capability,” said Randy Klindt, Co-Mo’s informational technology manager and project manager for the fiber-optic effort. “And in the commercial market, a company won’t even consider an area unless it has broadband connectivity, not just for its primary business but for its employees as well.”
Johnson likens this venture to what electric cooperatives did in the 1930s.
“Back then, we formed to serve areas that investor-owned utilities wouldn’t touch because they couldn’t make a profit. We turned the lights on for thousands of rural people in this area alone. Now, high-speed Internet is rapidly becoming the new electricity. It’s no longer a luxury. It’s becoming a necessity. If we can provide that to our
members, it’ll be like the 1930s all over again for us,” he said.
Johnson asked for member support.
“The more public support we have, the more favorable the grant committee will look on our application,” Johnson said.
To that end, the cooperative is asking its members and community organizations to download this file for instructions on writing a letter of support to be included with the grant application. Letters need to be mailed to the cooperative’s Tipton headquarters, P.O. Box 220, Tipton, MO 65081, or returned to either of Co-Mo’s offices by Friday, March 19.
“I can’t stress enough how important member support is,” Johnson said. “We need to demonstrate to a committee in Washington, D.C., that knows nothing of central Missouri how much of an economic-development tool and a life-changing force this project will be for our area.”
ABOUT CO-MO ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE - Co-Mo's service area comprises approximately 2,300 square miles in Central Missouri. Co-Mo exists to fulfill its members’ needs for superior electric and related services at fair and reasonable prices and support its communities through economic, civic and educational opportunities.
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