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High-speed internet for Mono a no-go, at least for now

July 2, 2014   ·   0 Comments

By Tabitha Wells – Mono residents who were looking forward to the chance of ultra high speed internet coming to the area are going to have to wait a little longer, according to the Mono Sustainability Advisory Council.

In a presentation to Mono council on June 24, Craig Wilson and MSAC Chair Paul Lansing told council members that the project would have to be put on hold, and ‘rebooted’ with a more viable plan.

To proceed with the current process that was being investigated, Mono would be looking at a cost of between $15,000 to $25,000 per household to implement the infrastructure.

Even with families committing to wanting to be a part of the high speed, the costs would far exceed it’s value.

“None of those approaches are currently viable and we would not be able to get funding,” said Mr. Wilson. “We would run the risk of raising the idea that it is imminent without having the funding to proceed.”

The next step would have been to pursue a full study of all aspects involved in the implementation of high speed internet, but without having a viable cost, Mr. Lansing and Mr. Wilson explained that it’s not worth investing in the study.

“Until we find a funding mechanism and a funding approach that would allow for an expenditure of this magnitude, going forward on the basis of whether people would buy in wouldn’t get us anywhere,” said Mr. Wilson. “Until we have a feasible presentation, I would not want to pursue a study.”

While the marketing study to see who would want to buy in is necessary in deciding where the cost level is considered reasonable, he advised that the reason it wouldn’t be worth pursuing is that none of the options available at this time would be viable.

Mr. Wilson added that at this point, they will require more time to be able to find some solutions that are worth presenting to Mono residents with for the marketing study, which unfortunately means, starting the process all over again. Though high speed internet isn’t impossible, finding the right solution seems to be a little more tricky.

“We have to start over because we don’t know if any of it will work,” said Mr. Wilson. “It’s a good news bad news situation, I guess, but it’s where we are at. We have to take the wagons out of the circle and make a new circle.”

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