Mineral County, Montana Commissioners seek to boost telecommunications infrastructure to increase economic development opportunities in rural communities

January 11, 2008

“Rural communities are understanding now that they need access to the Internet, access to advanced services so that their businesses can access the larger markets that are out there,” he said. “They also now understand that the larger world needs to know about what you have to offer if they are going to come here to recreate or develop a business.”

Mineral County lost an opportunity to compete for two businesses that would have created about 75 local jobs because the area has only one Internet provider.

On Monday, county commissioners took the first steps toward studying ways to increase its telecommunications infrastructure.

Paul DeWolfe of Access Engineering http://www.access-consulting.net in Missoula described the link between telecommunications capacity and rural economic development during the regular monthly meeting of the BitterRoot RC&D in Superior.

by Mark Hebert

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