Staying connected in rural Iowa

SULLY — Improving access to broadband internet will spur rural development, particularly across the state of Iowa. That’s the message Congressman Dave Loebsack, D-IA, heard Friday during a telecommunications roundtable at the Sully Telephone Company. Manager Jack DeAngelo said the company is constantly increasing rural broadband service, but funds to connect customers living in rural Iowa are often lacking.

“The biggest thing is money, we’re trying to do what we can, we’re not really getting any state help,” DeAngelo said.

New legislation drafted by Loebsack may help ease some of those concerns. Loebsack recently worked to get his legislation, the Rural Wireless Access Act, signed into law. This legislation requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to establish standards for collecting wireless coverage data. This data will help ensure maps are accurate so resources to improve wireless voice and mobile internet services go to the areas that need it the most.

“This literally instructs the FCC to use good data so when we see the maps we can actually depend on the maps,” Loebsack said. “The maps they provide are completely inadequate. They say there is far more cell coverage and broadband than there actually is.”

For small, rural telecommunications companies like DeAngelo’s, there’s no question the FCC’s maps are inaccurate. DeAngelo said he’s hoping updating the maps will make it clear how many rural areas are lacking adequate service. Over the past several years the Sully Telephone Company has spent more than $2.5 million to connect more than 75 percent of its customers, but there are still many locations that don’t have high-speed internet access. On Friday, DeAngelo told Loebsack he’s hopeful the proposed infrastructure bill will help businesses like the Sully Telephone Company get the rest of their customers connected.

“Do we go forward or do we wait for that federal funding if it ever comes,” DeAngelo asked Loebsack.

Loebsack said he’s not sure when the infrastructure bill will pass, but told DeAngelo he and others in Washington are working to push the bill forward. With Republicans challenging the current omnibus spending bill and the president pushing for a line item veto, Loebsack said supporters of the infrastructure bill will have to keep fighting for the bill at the capital.

“The bigger, phantom infrastructure bill that everyone’s been talking about for the past year, we don’t know when that’s going to happen,” Loebsack said. “We’ve got to do everything we can to pass a big infrastructure bill and hold everyone’s feet to the fire.”

With an uncertain promise of federal funding, DeAngelo said the Sully Telephone company has been looking at ways to diversify the services they can offer to customers. In addition to the cell services, they also service computers and install home audio and security systems, anything they can think of to keep the money coming in. DeAngelo said he’s constantly telling his employees to “get creative” to find new ways to generate revenue.

“Don’t get excited if someday I tell you you’re going to be driving for Uber,” DeAngelo said. “You’ve got to come up with ideas to get away from the regulated side of the telephone business.”

While interest continues to build for increased broadband access, the Sully Telephone Company’s landline telephone service continues to dwindle. DeAngelo said the company has tried to promote the service, but residents, even though living in rural areas just aren’t interested.

“Landlines, I hate to say it, but it’s a dying cat,” DeAngelo said. “My generation, the generation before, once we’re gone, you know it’s just going to keep dwindling.”

Despite those challenges, DeAngelo said customer response to broadband internet access in rural areas has been tremendously positive. With some improvements, DeAngelo said he could offer even faster speeds in rural areas if he had enough equipment to support the increase. On Friday, he estimated he’d be able to bring broadband internet to the rest of the area he serves with an additional $1.5 million.

“The funds we get now are just basically for normal operations, maintenance, it doesn’t fund us for fiber optic or wireless buildouts,” DeAngelo said. “I’m not asking for much, I need about a million and a half to finish up.”

Loebsack said he’ll do what he can to support the company, he’s convinced increasing rural internet access will spur development in remote areas. He said he thinks there will be plenty of small businesses that would be interested in relocating to rural areas if they have fast enough internet access, something DeAngelo agrees with wholeheartedly.

“I think people would come from other parts of the country and set up shop,” Loebsack said. “There are people that want to come to rural America and get out of the big cities but they can’t do it because they don’t have the speeds. That’s a big part of keeping Iowa alive.”

Contact David Dolmage at 641-792-3121 ext. 6532 or ddolmage@newtondailynews.com