Living in rural areas outside the city limits can have its advantages, but a major disadvantage for thousands living in Oktibbeha County is a lack of high-speed internet service.
The Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a letter to be sent out to fiber internet providers requesting they expand their service to the scores of people in the county that currently do not have access to high-speed internet.
District 4 Supervisor Bricklee Miller told the SDN many in the county have voiced their need for expanded service, which inspired the supervisors to act and take a proactive approach reaching out the companies that could make this possible.
"There are a lot of people that work from home that live in the county," Miller said. "There are services available out there through cell type services, but many people would like the fast services."
Miller said roughly 10,000 people in the county do not have access to fiber internet, which should provide an attractive opportunity for companies looking to locate services to rural spots in the area.
"We are just going out and soliciting for the citizens," Miller said. "There are no franchise agreements to hinder companies coming in. We're growing and there is definitely a need for it and we just want to let service providers know."
In the South Montgomery Street area at the corner of Poorhouse Road, there are 461 homes in a three-mile radius that do not have access to high-speed fiber internet. Miller used this example to underscore the need for expanded service.
"That's just one example and the density in some areas should be very attractive to people wanting to come in to supply this high-speed internet that people are wanting and we have that for all of the districts," Miller said.
Miller also said Franklin Telephone is already expanding fiber service in the Artesia area, in addition to the Browning Creek area and Sessums.
Mississippi Public Service Commission Chairman Brandon Presley has been an outspoken proponent of attracting fiber internet companies to rural areas across the state and told the SDN Thursday he fully supported the Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors' move to reach out to companies.
"Lack of internet service in 2017 in like lack of electricity in 1917," Presley said. "We've got to bring internet service to every dirt and dusty road in Oktibbeha County and in Mississippi."
Presley said his office would soon roll out new ideas in the coming months that goes along with the initiative by supervisors in Oktibbeha County.
"Big telecom companies should either lead, follow or get out of the way trying to provide these services," Presley said. "It's high time they plan to serve every customer in Mississippi and we will be introducing plans in the coming months to get that done."