Going the Extra Mile

Travis Lewis, businessman and entrepreneur, started SkyFi in Jackson County, North Carolina, as a way to provide high-speed Internet to remote communities in the area. While it would seem that Internet is ubiquitous, there are still places in rural Appalachia without it. This is why SkyFi is “going where DSL doesn’t go.” “We are doing what they call the last mile. We are getting out where cable doesn’t go, where DSL doesn’t go,” Lewis said. (Smoky Mountain News) Two new wireless Internet towers will be constructed in Jackson County within the coming weeks, and Lewis hopes they’ll go live in the next few months. SkyFi is one of the few wireless Internet providers operating in the mountains, so there’s a risk to make the business model work. “So far right now, we haven’t got a first customer and I have $100,000 invested of my personal money,” Lewis said. (Smoky Mountain News) Once Lewis earns back the cost of his initial towers and infrastructure, he plans to expand to new areas—from the Balsams to Little Canada. “I can’t afford to put all the towers up that I need right now,” Lewis said. “We will need 20 to 30 towers all over the county to create a spider web effect. I am going to try my best, but now it may take me a while. It will be a build out.” (Smoky Mountain News)