The Perry County Commission has taken the next step to lead the region into the future, especially when it comes to internet access.
The committee met with Charter/Spectrum to discuss equipment road boring as work begins in the coming weeks and months.
“We don’t want anyone to run through the road. We want them to dig under the road if possible,” Perry County Commissioner Mike Sauer said.
The charter provides a 60/40 split between underground and overhead wires and tracks.
Sauer reiterated the fact that visible and overhead lines are far enough off the ground that they don’t interfere with daily life, especially on county roads.
“We strive to have industrial truck overhead lines up to 18 feet,” said Charter’s Joe Vitale. “We try to get at least 36 inches underground.”
“These combines are getting bigger and bigger every day,” Sauer said. “I just want to make sure I don’t have to go back and redo something.”
Charter is committed to providing internet service to rural areas of Perry County. The company was recently working on a similar project in St. Louis. Genevieve and Vitale hope to start on Highway 61 and finish in St. Louis. Genevieve in May.
But he recognizes there are many areas in Perry County that need services.
“The timeline for all of this is from early 2025 to early 2026,” Vitale said. The first project in Perryville when the charter ends with St. Genevieve is from the South.
“Our weak spots are the eastern and western ends of Perry County and the northern Brewer area near St. Mary,” Sauer said. “We hope these will be one of the first spots to go, as there is little to no internet service right now.”
Vitale was willing to start where help was needed most.
“We’re a fluid team,” he said. “We will continue to provide information to the community about which areas we will be entering and which roads will be affected.”
Vitale said he hopes to provide internet service to more than 1,500 households over the life of the project.
“We want to bring 1 GB speeds to as many households as possible, which will allow us to expand to other parts of the county,” Vitale said.
Perry County Clerk Jared Katz quipped Vitale at the end of his speech.
“How can we make Perry County’s coverage map similar to Cape County’s map?” asked Kutz?
