4 Comments

How frustrating, Josiah! Glad you’re finally getting connected to fiber.

Expand full comment

The third successive owner of our local phone service installed a DSL box at the end of a 13 mile wire which did not work, so it was 15 miles into the hospital at Mt. Ayr with computer in hand anytime internet was needed. Eventually bit the bullet, installed satellite dishes and even purchased landline phone service from the satellite provider (landline wire had 60 cycle hum). Not perfect (nearly one-second latency on voice communications; stormy weather transiently disrupts the whole thing) but serviceable and, of course, not cheap.

Physical fiber to every site is a modern imperative but as our experienced collaborator points out with free government money the proof will always be in the execution. Good luck, but we can hope.

Expand full comment

Thanks for sharing your unfortunate history with high speed internet in Iowa. Yes, making sure that the money goes where it’s intended is a huge challenge!

Expand full comment

Amen. We live 45 minutes from an airport which will take us anywhere in the world, have had three fiber optic lines running through our pasture for decades, and just two weeks ago finally hooked up to a fiber connection. Neighbors will be waiting more years for the construction to be completed.

Expand full comment