GAYLORD — Organizers of a years-long plan to bring fiber optic broadband service to 27 cities and townships mainly in Sibley and Renville counties celebrated the first signs of construction at a groundbreaking on Wednesday morning.
Board members of the RS Fiber Cooperative and others involved in the project watched the cable get plowed four feet underground in the grass ditch along County Road 8 between County Roads 17 and 9.
Board members of rs fiber cooperative posed on wednesday morning at a groundbreaking ceremony for the project in southwestern sibley county, which will lay fiber optic cable in sibley and renville counties and bring vastly improved internet service and speed.
“We can give our friends in the region the opportunity to connect to the world at speeds of up to 1 gigabit, with reliability unmatched and local service unparalleled in the current market,” said RS Fiber general manager Toby Brummer.
Fiber-optic cable represents a vast improvement in Internet service, especially for those in the most rural parts of the counties where internet service is slow and spotty.
The project began about six years ago with a feasibility study. Eventually, a group of 27 city and township governments agreed to work together to bring high-speed Internet to Renville and Sibley counties.
They gauged public support through informational meetings, a phone poll and a mailing with pledge cards.
“The support was coming in at a higher rate for rural folks, so it showed the need rural folks had,” said co-op board vice-chairwoman Cindy Gerholz.
The benefit is not for rural areas alone — businesses, schools and health care facilities in the region’s cities are also looking forward to faster service. Board members cited the prospect of an osteopathic medical school coming to Gaylord as one supported by broadband.
“That would be out of the picture without this service,” said Ruth Bauer, treasurer.
By Nancy Madsen nmadsen@mankatofreepress.com
