Project studies ways to boost rural telecommunications in Idaho’s Magic Valley

Buried telecommunications fiber runs beneath the main streets of many of Magic Valley’s small communities, but local businesses and residents have limited access to that fiber.

By Mary Lou Potts
Times-News correspondent

For rural communities to entice broadband providers to expand service, they must get data required to build a business case for entering a particular market.

Tom W. Pickern, a telecommunications consultant with Caynet Consulting in Boise, told directors of Rural Magic Valley Economic Development Association how they would be able to help bridge the digital divide in this area.

Wood River Resource Conservation and Development of Gooding received a $10,978 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Rural Business Cooperative Service to conduct a market analysis. The study will gather information on supply and demand in each town to determine a combination private-and-public solution to providing broadband services.

The project includes the communities of Gooding, Buhl, Shoshone, Wendell, Hagerman, Bliss, Dietrich and Richfield. The entire study area has a population of less than 25,000.

Pickern said most rural towns lack communications capabilities that are commonplace in larger towns and cities. This digital divide has received a lot of attention from national, state and local governments because of the effect on education, health, economic development and quality of life.

Examples of improved data capabilities include high-speed Internet access to businesses and homes, digital voice systems required by call centers, and dedicated data and voice connectivity from a business or government in a town to another remote town — point-to-point circuits. All the towns included in the assessment are lacking those capabilities and would reap benefits from them, he said.

RMVEDA professional Jim Scott will assist Pickern, and the two will spend time in towns observing geography, residential and business density and proximity to services; talk with leaders, residents and entities with high demand for enhanced communications capabilities; visit with vendors serving the area to review capabilities, problems and opportunities in each town and the area as a whole; spend a day in towns formulating and documenting the findings; and hold an open-invitation areawide meeting to orally present the findings.

"It is a pioneering effort and may not bring new jobs to all, but the towns can view other places and prospects," Pickern said.

"The more information and involvement from each community, the better," Scott said.

After the project is up and running, federal grant money is available, Pickern said.

In other RMVEDA business, Scott and RMVEDA President Steve Kaatz asked the board’s community representatives to bring up two measurable tasks that Scott can work on.

For Buhl, Kaatz said Scott would continue to work on an industrial park and the city Web site.

For Hagerman, Scott said he is continuing work on public parking, a new grocery store and a pocket park, as well as helping obtain funding for senior-center upgrades.

John Irace of Wendell asked for assistance in getting a community review and help with an industrial park.

Patty Nance of Dietrich, a new representative, asked Scott for help with a Web site.

Shoshone has a number of projects going, and Scott will help on them as time allows: city cleanup, community review, a possible community center, a nonprofit entity, sewer extension and Rocky Mountain Hardware construction.

Also, the board voted to donate $250 to the Business Plus III regional development campaign.

http://www.magicvalley.com/news/business/index.asp?StoryID=2552