Guest Editorial: Sharon Township Broadband proposal offers citizens a choice for the future

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by Kathleen Feldkamp Graddy, Sharon Broadband YES

The technology revolution and farming is an issue that has occupied a lot of thought and conversation in Sharon Township lately. After the township completed its feasibility study, after informational meetings, and after approving the language that will appear on the ballot in May, voters are considering the impact, advantages, and costs. Sharon’s goal was to come up with a plan that would provide reliable high-speed internet access for every household in the township. The feasibility study showed that having their own fiber-optic cable was the only option that could satisfy that goal. The Washtenaw County Farm Bureau wholeheartedly supports high-speed internet for farm communities.

Farmers, small businesses, and families would see real benefits. Now, with tall trees, hilly terrain and lack of coverage caused by too few wireless towers, many homes are unable to access the internet at all, and wireless plans are often extremely expensive. Without access, students are currently unable to do their homework at home, as teachers very often require it be done online. Young families with children usually list reliable fast internet as one of their necessities when they shop for a home. Health care is relying more and more on access to doctors and medical tests online. Opportunities to connect with distant grandchildren and extended families would greatly increase, and online entertainment choices would be possible that just aren’t there now. Internet phone service will be ever more critical in the future as traditional phone lines are less and less profitable for AT&T and other companies who will at some point likely decide to stop servicing them. Farmers will need the internet more and more, for access to markets, technology that helps determine decisions about fertilizing and pest controls, ordering parts and supplies, tracking the weather, and basic communication. If Sharon Township built its own fiber optic broadband cable, the people of the community would own it and have absolute control over who operated the service. Residents who bought into the service would not endure the whims of a company like Comcast nor would they be subjected to ever-rising prices charged for the purpose of that company’s profits.

The farm and small business income of rural families puts money into circulation in the local economy and that supports other small businesses. The taxes that farmers and residents pay on their lands support public education and other essential government programs that provide investment in infrastructure that businesses and families need. Rural Washtenaw County is known for the beautiful and hard-working farms that support all of us by way of providing good things to eat- fresh vegetables, fruits, eggs and meat. The Michigan Farm Bureau is a time-honored organization that supports farmers and members. Its mission statement vows “To represent, protect, and enhance the business, economic, social and educational interests of our members.” Kathy Fusilier of Manchester Township serves on the county Farm Bureau board. She reports that her internet is often slow, touchy and expensive. “Something must be done,” she said.

Michigan Farm Bureau official John Delmotte helped write the state’s policy on access to internet technology for the organization. He operates a farm near Dundee, and has struggled with the lack of reliable internet. In flat Monroe County, one cable company serves the whole area, but not very well due to lack of competition. Delmotte resorts to using his cell phone for internet access but says it is expensive and unreliable, as trees and even small rises in the landscape create barriers. Delmotte said, “I am a conservative man, personally and politically, always have been. But this lack of basic technology means that we are heading into a time of real disadvantage for rural people. The need is obvious.” He said that waiting for AT&T or some other company to solve the problem just isn’t an option. Because of the sparse population, there would never be enough return on investment for a private enterprise to fund the infrastructure, whether it’s a fiber optic cable or a whole lot of towers for wireless. He sees a public-private partnership as the only answer. He knows that it seems a very large investment up front, “But look at the service you will get! And if you look at all we would pay in connection fees over the same amount of years, it will really pay off in the future. Sometimes you have to look at the greater good!”

“E-connectivity is essential to the economic vitality and quality of life in rural communities,” says Ann Hazlett, Assistant Secretary for Rural Development. “Investing in broadband can strengthen rural economic growth and improve critical access to jobs, education, health care and social services.” The USDA has proposed grants to help that effort. According to Ben Fineman, President of the Michigan Broadband Cooperative, “The Community Connect grant program is a good program, but chronically underfunded. It looks like this year it has $34.5M nationally. It’s likely that that pool of money will go to areas with even greater need than ours.” This statement shows that waiting for help from the Feds would probably be a many years-long wait, and maybe never happen.

Some Sharon residents are hoping that wireless technology will fill the gap and worry that the broadband cable will quickly become obsolete. Yet people who understand the basic science involved know that fiber optics is the gold standard, and will be for many decades. Sharon Township officials are willing to talk to any resident to calculate the exact cost for their household, and figure out the cost savings for services over the life of the millage. The current ballot proposal is based on the feasibility study commissioned by the Township. Manchester recently voted to go forward with their own study.

The Sharon millage vote is for (3.2583) mills. The cost of buying into the service is estimated to be about $35 a month for unlimited access. If more residents than anticipated buy into the service, it will be less than that. The math for this, calculated at MichiganBroadbandYes.com, works out extremely favorably for an average resident, and the service will be much clearer and faster. Also, internet phone service will likely be cheaper. The profit and hassle of dealing with a private company will be gone. The feasibility study measured everyone’s driveway, and there won’t be extra fees for a long driveway.

Sharon Township citizens will vote on May 8 whether to partner together for this major investment in technology infrastructure and in their future. Universal broadband supporters in Sharon say that it’s like the Rural Electric Co-operatives in the past, when regular people banded together to make sure electric service was available for everyone, at the lowest cost. They hope that voters will look at the true details of the issue. Township officials and residents have worked long and hard through some measure of controversy to bring this to the voters, and feel that the true aspects of the effort clearly show that it is a good proposal.

I invite you to get the facts and then vote YES on May 8 to bring broadband to everyone in Sharon Township.

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.