Demonstrating the state’s “Show Me” gumption, the city of Independence, MO believes it has what it needs to build its own broadband network, reports The Examiner. In fact, Fort Collins, CO showed Mayor Eileen Weir and Chamber President Tom Lesnak what a city can do when it takes charge of its resources.
The traveling Missourians noted that Independence already has a jump on the groundwork with an existing fiber optic cable network and an excessive amount of utility poles.
“It provides service to all citizens and residents,” explained Lesnak.
“In Fort Collins, they had to bury everything, and it took a lot of time. We own the poles, and we have a lot of fiber in the ground already.” Weir added, “We’ve seen some places and gathered some information about cities who have implemented broadband. It’s just something to look at to see if we can do it.”
Both Weir and Lesnak said the project was still in the exploratory phase, but spoke hopefully about being able to implement an Independence broadband network. Long- term implications and budget requirements will need to be researched before the Chamber of Commerce commits to the project. The legislators spoke enthusiastically about the information gathering that will be needed to move forward. Yet Weir cautioned, “There’s still a lot to learn.”
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