The Neosho City Council on Tuesday approved letters of support for Optimum Broadband and AT&T as the two companies pursue funds from the American Rescue Plan Act to further develop their Internet networks.
Missouri's allocation for broadband funds in ARPA is more than $400 million, according to information from the Missouri Department of Economic Development. Acceptance of grant applications opened on Aug. 15 and closes next week.
The letters of support contain details about what the companies hope to build.
Optimum Broadband, formerly known as Suddenlink, proposes building a fiber-to-home network offering speeds of 100 Mbps that is scalable to multi-gigabit speeds, according to the letter. It would be an advanced platform that can incorporate future upgrades for decades.
Specifically, Optimum hopes to make the service available to unserved and underserved portions of its Neosho service area.
Without listing speeds or specifications, AT&T also stated an interest in providing fiber broadband to homes in its letter of recommendation, mentioning how the Interstate 49 corridor presents opportunities for residents and businesses.
Fiber broadband refers to the use of fiber-optic cables, a new technology that transmits pulses of light. The technology is considered an upgrade over coaxial cables currently used for cable TV and Internet services because it can handle a much larger amount of data. According to Optimum, fiber is the fastest Internet form of data transmission.
Neosho has no plans to build its own Internet service. City Manager David Kennedy said that the service is comparable to other utility services.
"With other utilities, you have companies that specialize in that," Kennedy said. "Just like electric and gas, we need to stay with the professionals."
Follow Digital Editor Joe Hadsall on Twitter at @JoeHadsall.
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