semo.net's "I WANT BROADBAND!" Campaign Expands Throughout S.E. Mo

Jul 17, 2009

Semo.net has been working to develop a long-range strategy for bringing broadband Internet services to Southeast Missouri rural communities. In January, we began a campaign to have people contact our office and let us know that they wanted broadband service in their area.

Each person who contacts our office is located in Google Earth and their GPS coordinates are saved in our system. We can then view the entire region and find “cells” of customers who are in need of services.

Our campaign has mostly been based in the Poplar Bluff area, but we are now ready to spread that campaign into other rural areas in southeast Butler county, northern Dunklin county, southern Stoddard county and northwest New Madrid county.

Our fall deployment of new wireless services will be based on these results, so please make sure we have your household or business pinpointed if you want broadband but can’t get it.

There are four ways to provide us with the necessary information:
1. fill out the form at http://semo.net/IWantBroadband/
2. email broadband@semo.net the information listed below:
3. call 573.686.9114 and give us your information
4. stop by our office and show us where you live on our Google Earth map

I Want Broadband!

Please help us get the word out by sending emails to your friends and family in these areas or you can fill out the online form for them at http://semo.net/IWantBroadband/.

If you email us the information, we specifically need:
1. Your address (County Roads, not Rural Route addresses)
2. Driving directions from the closest state road or highway
OR:
If you happen to have GPS coordinates for your location, send us those!

What if I have land you can use for a tower?
If you are interested in providing land where we could place a tower in exchange for free service yourself, please let us know.

What will semo.net do with my information?
We will track your location on our electronic map to determine the best locations to place towers to provide service. We will also use the statistics gleaned from all the submissions to secure funding for the project.

Can I send in a request on behalf of someone else?
If you have their permission and they are interested in subscribing to broadband Internet service: Yes.

How long until this access is available?
Our goal is to begin this deployment this fall, but where and when will depend on the results of this survey. The more people who are interested in a given area, the sooner we can deploy.

How much will it cost for service?
Option 1: 256k access, $249 installation, $23.95/month
Option 2: 256k access, $49 installation, $39.95/month
Either plan can be upgraded to 1 meg for an additional $20 per month.

What if I’m interested in investing in this new wireless service initiative?
Semo.net is considering bringing on new investors to help raise capital for this roll-out. The minimum investment will be $25,000. A separate company will be created to build-out the wireless network for
semo.net and profit as the userbase grows. If you are interested in more information and are seriously capable of this size of investment, you are encouraged to email brian@semo.net to set up a meeting to
discuss the opportunity.