"So many of our citizens in north central Idaho are without really robust (Internet) connectivity," said Jerry Zumalt, who oversees much of the county's emergency network and response. "We're the Appalachia of the West."
Last week the Idaho Broadband Advisory Board awarded capital project funds for 17 broadband fiber projects throughout Idaho totaling $118 million. Idaho County's share was $11.5 million, which will be paired with $2.9 million in matching funds from Idaho, Latah, Lewis and Nez Perce counties, along with the cities of Grangeville and Nezperce.
The project will provide a 144 strand fiber backbone from Grangeville to Orofino where it will be patched into existing fiber infrastructure. In addition, the fiber will be built out to Nezperce.
One of the main benefits of the project will be to create a backup service for times when main communication lines are interrupted. Currently there are few options for emergency communication when that happens.
"What this will do is provide a redundant path for our dispatch centers if we lose the main connectivity," Zumalt said. "It will provide the ability to deliver telehealth, education opportunities and economic development. It's a driver of economics."
Ultimately, Zumalt said, the project will create a connectivity path from Seattle to Salt Lake City and knit together northern and southern Idaho through Idaho County.
Zumalt said this project has been years in the making. He praised the work of the Clearwater Economic Development Association, which started a regional assessment of telecommunication needs and the benefits of broadband in 2005.
He credited former Idaho Senators David Nelson of Moscow and Carl Crabtree of Grangeville, who advocated for such developments in the Legislature. Zumalt also thanked the county commissioners and city leaders who, he said, "have gone way out on a limb" and pitched in the money for the matching funds.
The project will "give people options and make the playing field more affordable," Zumalt said. "It's huge. It's going to take a while to get this in the ground but it's coming. We've got all the work to do now. We've got to have technology to survive in (the 21st century)."
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