Letter to the Editor: Rural carriers meet Internet access needs

Dear Editor,

Springfield Business Journal's Dec. 3 story, "Task force examines rural Internet capabilities," made the important point that those of us who live in rural Missouri need access to high-speed Internet.

As general manager of Choctaw Telephone Co. in Halltown, I can say the right to access is why Choctaw Telephone and the other 34 members of Missouri's Small Telephone Company Group have invested millions of dollars to upgrade the state's infrastructure and networks. The result for our group is that digital subscriber lines, or broadband service, are available to 91 percent of the group's 107,000 customers.

Not only does the Small Telephone Company Group have vast knowledge and experience in providing service, but we excel over our larger counterparts when it comes to providing broadband service to Missouri's small towns and rural communities. The Missouri Public Service Commission backs this assertion in its September report on Missouri Broadband Availability stating, "A more in-depth analysis of out-state Missouri suggests that small, rural telecommunications carriers have been more aggressive in offering broadband to customers throughout their service territories than their larger rivals.

"For example, small, rural telecommunications carriers offer DSL broadband access to 80 percent of households," the report reads. "... Large telecommunications carriers, including their local exchange telecommunications competitors, however, have only deployed DSL service to 64 percent of their exchange service areas, when removing urban centers of St. Louis, Kansas City and Springfield."

Choctaw Telephone Co. began providing Internet service in the Halltown area in 2005. Today, DSL is available to 100 percent of Choctaw Telephone customers. We made the financial commitment to upgrade our network because we know firsthand how vitally important it was for our customers to enjoy the quality of life in the Ozarks, while having access to burgeoning technologies such as DSL.

Gov. Matt Blunt is to be commended for creating the Rural High-Speed Internet Access Task Force to combine the ideas of government and private industry to expand Internet availability in small towns and rural communities across Missouri. Small telephone companies share the belief that all Missourians should have access to broadband Internet connections at affordable rates.

It costs considerably more on a per-subscriber basis to bury a mile of cable in Halltown, population 200, than it does in Springfield, population 150,000. It is wrong to assume that competition in rural areas will lead to lower costs and higher quality of service for customers. In fact, splitting a rural market generally causes the cost of service to increase for each of the providers on a per-customer basis.

Gov. Blunt has charged the task force with reviewing the best practices in other states to increase the availability of high-speed Internet service in rural Missouri. Small telephone companies believe it is only logical to examine and to benefit from those providing excellent service in our home state.

-Mike Staudt, Halltown

General manager, Choctaw Telephone Co.