County Broadband options to be discussed

Options for increasing high speed broadband service in Lyon County have been developed and now the county board is seeking input from the public.

At 6:30 p.m., Thursday, April 18, 2017, the Lyon County Board of Commissioners will meet at the Government Center in Marshall to discuss the needs and concerns of rural residents.

In 2017, Lyon County partnered with the Blandin Foundation to commission a Broadband Feasibility Study to examine the need for high speed internet service in rural areas of Lyon County.

The focus of the study was on areas of the county that do not have fast broadband and are not expected to have access to high speed anytime soon.

The study proposed two options to solve this problem.

1. The best solution from a speed and technology perspective would be to provide a fiber link to all rural residences and businesses. While this is the most desirable solution, it comes at a high cost.

The development of this type of infrastructure would require an investment of approximately $20,000,000 and would serve approximately 2,500 locations.

While this is the best technology to get the fastest connections, it is not economically feasible at this time.

2. The second option the county is considering is a hybrid system of a mix of fiber backbone along with high speed wireless.

Wireless technology is advancing and can produce connections speeds of 50 megabit or greater.

The pairing of these two technologies should provide a significant increase in speed over what is currently being provided at a cost of $6 to $8 million.

A copy of the full feasibility study is available on the Lyon County Website, at www.co.lyon.mn.us. Residents are encouraged to attend the public meeting and give feedback to the county board.

If you are unable to attend, feel free to send your comments to the Lyon County Board at the Government Center address or email your comments to: lorenstomberg@co.lyon.mn.us.