Are affordable Internet gigabit speeds truly important to the future economic growth of southwest Missouri? Ten years from now, will the current top industries still be producing the jobs we need?
It’s time we stop to take a look at the future of our economic landscape. Technology jobs could be the future we are seeking.
We’ve heard the numbers that tech jobs will create, and they are staggering. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in all computer occupations is expected to increase by 22 percent in the next five years. I really don’t think anyone would disagree that tech is important. High-speed Internet is the lifeblood of tech and extremely important to future economic growth. However, at the moment, access to affordable gigabit speeds is nonexistent, which will continue to create problems for the tech industry.
Searching high speedsSo why do I support and have even pushed Nixa toward this idea of affordable crazy-fast Internet? It’s simple. I own a tech company that was based in Nixa, and we had to move because the Internet speeds were ridiculously slow. We moved to The eFactory in downtown Springfield with speeds of 80 megabits per second up and 80 Mbps down (almost a 10th of a gigabit). I make this point because we could not afford those speeds outside The eFactory. Comparing the cost of megabits to places like Silicon Valley, it’s 10 times less than the prices locally for businesses. This is happening because there is a lack of competition forcing change, and the ISPs know it. I’ve heard anecdotally this region is one of the most profitable areas in the nation for local ISPs, and they have fought to keep it that way. After talking to state representatives, I found Suddenlink has been trying to pass legislation stopping municipalities from functioning as an ISP. Now, they are pledging $250 million to upgrade systems to bring a gigabit connection to each customer. It’s no coincidence Nixa is slated as Suddenlink’s first city after there was a threat of a competitive service.
Market disruptionNixa should actively press toward affordable high-speed Internet. The city has the means of effecting change to the current situation that has been a pain point for its residents and businesses for a long time. No matter what you think the role of city government should be, there was a need for a catalyst to disrupt the market. Whether Nixa becomes an ISP or the threat of competition is enough to bring affordable gigabit speeds, the facts are simple: Nixa owns most of the key right of way needed to build a solid network, and it has the influence needed to continue the discussion to fix the problem. This change will create a lot of jobs now and in the future, not to mention the notoriety that could attract large tech companies and create hundreds of millions of dollars in economic growth.
Are we not tired of being held hostage, paying high prices because the players in the market are too comfortable? The position Nixa has taken has been that of a catalyst for change to fix a problem and to give the market the push it needed to effectively serve residents.
Jeremy Bartley is co-founder of Think Digital and a past vice chairman of the Nixa Area Chamber of Commerce board of directors. He can be reached at jeremy@thinkdigital.io.[[In-content Ad]]
