Co-Mo Electric Cooperative is hoping to bring high-speed broadband Internet access to its customers.
The cooperative, that serves much of the west side of the lake, is applying for federal grant money to construct the network.
In other areas of the country, according to a release from Ken Johnson, general manager/CEO of Co-Mo, high-speed Internet access provides a major boost to the quality of life and is used to help students excel in school, attract new businesses, grow existing businesses and create a stronger connection between family members and communities.
Co-Mo is hoping to bring that same experience to its customers to ensure it not only keeps up with but surpasses those areas by bringing a high-capacity fiber optic network to all of its members.
Johnson said Com-Mo’s plan would connect every home and business on its system using cutting-edge fiber optic technology.
“This network would deliver Internet speeds of up to 100 megabits, high-definition video and create a platform for technology as yet unimagined over the next century and beyond,” he said. “ A new modern necessity is emerging and rural America is in danger of being left behind.”
Johnson said Co-Mo is working to ensure their customers have access and are not left behind.
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, he said.
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,” Johnson said. “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 said the coop is asking cooperative members to provide letters of support for the grant proposal. The deadline for submitting letters is March 10.
For more information contact Klindt or John Agliata at 1-800-781-0157.
Call to action
Co-Mo is asking cooperative members to provide letters of support for the grant proposal. The deadline for submitting letters is March 19. For more information, contact Randy Klindt or John Agliata at 800-781-0157.
Co-Mo serves large rural area
Co-Mo’s service area comprises approximately 2,300 square miles including parts of Central Missouri.
Its boundaries extend from the Missouri River on the north to the Lake of the Ozarks and Truman Dam on the south and southwest, respectively; west to within eight miles of Sedalia; and east to within six miles of Missouri’s capital city, Jefferson City.
The northern two-thirds is primarily agricultural with Interstate 70 traversing east and west across northern Cooper County. The Union Pacific Railroad link between St. Louis and Kansas City lies across the mid-section of Co-Mo’s service area.
The southern third is more hilly and wooded in the Lake of the Ozarks Region where a majority of Co-Mo’s growth is occurring primarily due to the influence of the lake and a resulting growth in the resort and tourist industry.
