On January 18, residents of Starke County gathered in the Henry F. Schricker Public Library in Knox, Indiana to pave the way for high-speed broadband internet to their community – something currently unavailable to many residents in the area.
At an event hosted by the Starke County Economic Development Foundation (SCEDF), in collaboration with Surf Internet, the citizens of Starke County were educated on ways to bring faster internet speeds to their region through opportunities provided by the Indiana Connectivity Program (ICP). The program leverages grant dollars to bring high-speed internet to communities that lack access by working with internet service providers to extend their network.
Surf Internet employees were readily available to guide residents through the application process in addition to answering any questions they had.
“Everybody talks about bridging the digital divide; this is getting down in the trenches. This is how we’re going to get America connected, and that’s what I’m so excited about. This is a grassroots effort,” said Gene Crusie, CEO of Surf Internet. “It’s good for them, and it’s good for us because we have a chance to really make a meaningful impact in this county.”
“Surf has really been community-minded and community-forward,” said Mary Perren, Interim Executive Director of SCEDF. “We want to be able to help our folks get access to the infrastructure they need. That’s why we were happy to partner with them to get this done.”
Providing high-speed broadband internet to areas that don’t currently have access is a huge step in connecting residents to the world around them. High-speed internet affords the residents of Starke County more job opportunities as well as access to more educational resources. Both of these could strengthen economic development for the area.
For Starke County residents, this is a ginormous leap in internet service.
“I think it’s going to be huge. It’s going to help a lot of people,” said Don Binkley, the president of Starke County Commissioners.
The Indiana Connectivity Program works to connect users with service providers that aid in extending broadband services to those locations. Residents must apply to the program individually so the ICP can assess each address on a case-by-case basis.
Homes and businesses in Indiana without access to the internet, or using services with speeds below 100 megabits per second (mbps) download and 20 mbps upload, are eligible to apply. This gives internet service providers the opportunity to bid on state Next Level Connections Broadband grant funds that go towards providing high-speed broadband internet to communities that need it most.
Crusie explained the average cost to get fiber internet in rural parts of the county is $10,000 per house. This high cost means getting internet to these homes is considerably difficult. He elaborated that, if public and private funds were pooled together, Surf Internet can make it happen. The ICP program is aiding in this process.
“This program is so critical because each of these people that walk through the door are guaranteed to be subsidized by up to $4,800 per adult. If all of them on the street get together, you can start bridging that $10,000 gap because you have two or three $5,000 homes close enough together that we can piece together a project,” Crusie said. “A big part of why we’re here in Knox is the work that the SCEDF did to get us here. Because we’re here now, we can go outside to the community and reach the underserved people in the rural areas.”
Learn more about Surf Internet’s role in the Internet Connectivity Program at surfinternet.com/icp/.
Check to see if you’re eligible for fiber through Surf Internet at www.surfinternet.com.