Pulaski County is looking toward possible broadband investments. The county commissioners Tuesday approved a broadband-ready county resolution.
Community Development Commission Executive Director Nathan Origer said it begins the process of making Pulaski County eligible for broadband planning and development grant opportunities. “[It will] kind of give us the guidance for establishing procedures and a broadband-ready committee going forward, so that, as we figure out potentially what we’re going to do with some of our ARPA money, as we look at the state’s Next Level Broadband program, we have the processes in place to try to move forward with some of those in the future,” Origer explained.
Commissioner Chuck Mellon said county officials didn’t initially know where broadband would rank on the county’s list of uses for its share of federal American Rescue Plan money, but delaying the resolution would put the county behind if it does want to use it on broadband.
Meanwhile, the commissioners also agreed to let LightStream continue with its project to install fiber optic infrastructure in the county. President and CEO Brent Gillum said that will pass another 300 properties in the Winamac area, while replacing the old technology acquired from the former cable company.
“It then allows us to completely retire all of our old DOCSIS plant, the aerial plant that was on the poles that we spend a lot of money and a lot of time troubleshooting and repairing,” Gillum added.
If Pulaski County does end up pursuing grant funding for broadband upgrades, Gillum said LightStream would be interested in partnering with the county.
