Letter to the Editor: I support the Sharon Broadband initiative

April 8th, 2018

I have been a resident of Sharon Township for 15 years. I am attracted to the rural environment, with our beautiful forests and fields. I support the Sharon Broadband initiative to finance installation of fiber-optic cable to each resident for high speed internet service. In the 21st century, being engaged and informed does not require us to live in cities. It only requires high speed, high capacity access to the Internet. I long for the ability to video-conference with far-away family and friends, to conduct online research, to enjoy 4k streaming services, to engage in online communities, to back up my data to the cloud and to use real-time security monitoring when I am away from home. When the weather is bad I am allowed to work from home, but cannot if my satellite internet is blocked by weather or it takes an unbearably long time to access my work files by VPN. I earned my Master’s degree in Technology Management online between 2004 and 2006. The slow speed and data caps with Hughes.Net resulted in many late nights while conducting research and collaborating with teammates. In the modern world, anyone can enrich themselves and contribute to broader society with a computer and internet access. Education does not end with a High School diploma or traditional 4-year college degree. Continuing education is essential to maintain employability and professional growth. The people of Sharon Township have been shut out for long enough. Let’s join the digital community at large. Please join me in voting YES on May 8, 2018.

Sincerely,
John Philbrook
Sharon Township

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.