Washington County signs letter of support for broadband efforts

WASHINGTON — County supervisors had two conversations with representatives from broadband provider Cloudburst9 this week. The wireless internet service is a shared product of KCTC and Liberty Communications.

The more recent happened Wednesday afternoon, where Cloudburst9 spokespeople said they hoped to designate the West Chester community as an “intervention area” for broadband services, a status that would qualify it for state grants to improve residents’ internet access.

Washington Economic Development Group Executive Director Mary Audia said improved broadband infrastructure would be a boon for at least 177 homes in the designated five-mile radius.

"It expands access to new technologies such as … distance education, telemedicine, remote monitoring systems aided by livestream video,“ she said. ”Adoption in rural areas is linked to increased job growth and population growth, higher rates of business formation and home values, and lower unemployment rates.“

Wednesday’s meeting was short, and ended in a unanimous vote by county supervisors to sign a letter of support as local organizations submit an intent to qualify the 5-mile radius as an underserved area of the state.

Crucially, the support letter does not signal a financial commitment from the county itself, though it does improve the odds that state decision-makers take a closer look at the area according to advocates.

“There’s a certain number of points you get for each category you fill out on that application,” Audia said in an interview. “The optional ones that you fill out give you more points, so that’s part of it, but it also just shows community support for the proposed broadband in that area.”

The earlier discussion, at a regular meeting on Tuesday, opened with a request for funds to help develop broadband alongside the letter of support.

Cloudburst9 representatives said that push would cost $2 million to serve 177 households, a hefty price tag they said they could take on with $1 million in help from an outside source.

“If Cloudburst9 does not receive the funding, we will not build the area with fiber, we cannot serve it,” said KCTC CEO Casey Peck. “The sheer cost of that would not be profitable long-term.”

Iowa Communications Alliance Vice President Brittany Morales said grant-based broadband development was a growing norm in the state, as the low-hanging markets were picked off by private actors.

"What’s left are the hardest, most expensive areas to serve,“ she said. ”The easy, cost-effective … areas have already been done.“

Specifically, the representatives asked for aid from the county’s American Rescue Plan Act account, which is otherwise tentatively planned for use in a building project. Advocates pointed out large chunks of county money allocated to broadband expansion efforts in Henry County ($1.4 million) Lee County ($1.9 million) and Henry County ($750,000) as nearby examples.

That request proved unpopular with the board after nearly 40 minutes of discussion.

Supervisor Jack Seward Jr. said he was hesitant to commit money, in light of a similar request from providers for the southern part of the county in June, which the board denied.

"We were entertaining their request for money, also, and boy did we hear about it,“ he said. ”We have not chosen to go that way with our ARPA money … I wish we had an extra million lying around.“

Other supervisors said they were unwilling to entertain such a major request for funds under the intervention area application’s tight deadline of March 31, just days after the meeting.

Audia said she hoped monetary support from the county was still on the table, however, whether from ARPA or another source.

“It kind of depends what happens at Orchard Hill … how the ARPA funds are used, and what might be available,” she said. “But I think irregardless of the ARPA funds, I think it’s something that will stay on the table for quite some time so we can figure out how to serve this area.”

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com