Good news for Broadband access | Letter

Published 2:21 pm Wednesday, March 18, 2015

OPALCO’s acquisition of Rock Island Communications should significantly improve access to hi-speed internet service for island residents. CenturyLink has not and will not improve their infrastructure, since our islands are such a small market, and they cannot receive an adequate return on such an investment.

OPALCO has stepped up to fill that void by providing us with 21st century internet and phone options. Their hi-speed internet offerings will not only allow us to use internet services just as if we were off-island with many more options, at a very competitive price, but will also improve our property values by opening up our real estate market to buyers that would previously not consider purchasing here because of woefully inadequate internet access.

More people will consider visiting our islands or purchasing property here because they can work from rental property or from home, which was generally not possible before OPALCO’s well-considered decision to provide this much-needed service.

This will also vastly improve our healthcare and emergency services, by providing much-needed communications redundancy, which is not available from previous providers.

We should all thank OPALCO for having the foresight to move forward with broadband plans, despite the criticism from the minority of vocal naysayers who challenge improvement ideas without any plans or actions of their own to make things better, and those who don’t want any change at all and would rather not keep up with the rest of the world, regardless of the many lifestyle, financial and safety benefits that improved internet access will bring to our island communities.

Terry O’Sullivan

Eastsound