Faster Internet could speed up Sauk County
By Tim Damos, Capital Newspapers
Help might be on the way for rural parts of Sauk County with no access to high-speed Internet service.
County officials are exploring the possibility of allowing Internet service providers to tap into the county's network of first responder radio towers. That could allow providers to offer wireless Internet service in areas that are covered by the towers.
The county board's economic development committee will discuss possibilities with a telecommunications expert and industry representatives during a meeting Tuesday morning.
"We're just trying to look at all options at this point," said Tim Stieve, the county's facilities manager. "Nothing is concrete."
Stieve said a special committee formed in 2003 recommended the switch from microwave communication to fiber optic cable as a method for allowing the county's radio towers to communicate. Microwave communication was much slower, Stieve said.
The glass fiber cables installed in 2003 transmit information between nine towers and back to communication centers in Baraboo, Stieve said.
"Fiber has a tremendous capacity to carry data," said Ken Schlager, a telecommunications engineer with the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission who will speak with county officials Tuesday.
He said it's possible for local governments to use public safety networks as a basis for private networks without threatening emergency communications.
Schlager has worked with other Wisconsin communities to develop wireless Internet systems, and said the idea has potential in Sauk County.
Officials are also looking at the possibility of cellular-based Internet access or connecting the county's system to a stretch of cable near Portage that runs along the interstate.
Stieve said representatives from local providers Reedsburg Utilities and Merrimac Communications will be on hand at Tuesday's meeting.
If you go:
What: Sauk County Board's economic development committee hears from Internet service providers about expanding service.
When: 10 a.m., Dec. 30
Where: EMBS meeting room, 1st floor of Sauk County Courthouse, 510 Broadway in Baraboo