Scott Boone, standing, Kent County’s director of information technology, speaks Wednesday, April 15 about plans to improve Internet access in the area.
PHOTO BY DORIAN MITCHELLBETTERTON — A project that could provide better Internet access throughout Kent County was discussed at the Council of Governments meeting Wednesday, April 15.
Scott Boone, Kent County information technology director, gave a presentation to local officials about a lease that would allow wireless providers, such as Comcast or Atlantic Broadband, to use county structures at a relatively low or zero cost, in exchange for their services being used throughout the county.
Boone said the lease was created from a need to update the county’s existing Internet infrastructure.
“When you see kids in their dad’s pickup truck in the library parking lot on Sundays, trying to connect to the Internet, that’s what we call a Third-World issue,” he said. “That shouldn’t be happening in this country.”
Boone said the project involves a theoretical “ring” of dark fiber-optic cable, starting in the Fairlee area and possibly extending as far west as U.S. Route 301, that would encircle the existing structures in Kent County. This ring would allow a provider to “light” the cable and beam their services all over the county.
“We’re looking to keep the price at zero,” he said. “We’re not looking to create revenue, our goal is to give it (service) away as much as possible without being in the red.”
Boone said the ring also would provide a failsafe, in case something caused the flow of service to be interrupted. He said it would have the ability to be redirected to another structure.
He said the lease would contain requirements for any prospective providers to appear before the commissioners for their approval. Boone also said a request for funding has been sent to the commissioners.
“They (the providers) want not only the structure, but the millions of dollars we’re going to invest in for fiber to link the whole county,” said Kent County Commissioner Bill Short. “So they’re going to have to negotiate.”
Boone said once the lease is complete, he will encourage town officials to look it over and use it as a model for the structures in their respective municipalities. He also said several providers, local and beyond, expressed interest when contacted about the lease.
“We want to expand that fiber-optic connectivity all over the county and increase the wireless speed for everyone,” he said.
Boone said the lease is currently being drafted by County Attorney Ernie Crofoot.
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