Broadband Reaches Out

For commercial cow-calf ranchers Alfred and Kathy Luke of Julesburg, Colo., the frustrating wait for high-speed Internet is over. The northeastern Colorado couple contacted nearly every Internet service provider in their area for high-speed service with no luck. But, when an Internet installer

The Lukes are among a group that often have trouble getting new technology in rural areas. WildBlue, however, is hoping to change that.

The new satellite provider, based in Englewood, Colo., promises faster connection speeds and services specifically targeted to farmers, ranchers and rural businesses.

"Now, we can watch cattle auctions live because we have a high-speed connection. It's handy to keep up with sale prices, trends and other people's cattle," Kathy says.

Watching live auctions has allowed the Lukes to identify quality animals that might make good additions to their herd.

Even though they sell calves from their 500-cow herd at a local livestock market, they have bought replacement cows by bidding online during an auction. "You don't have access to these live markets unless you have high-speed Internet," Kathy says.

The service that has changed the Internet experience for the Lukes is now available in the contiguous U.S.

Leo Graves, a WildBlue dealer in Broken Arrow, Okla., has seen first hand the impact of WildBlue in rural areas.

"The majority of my customers are coming from dial-up connections. They were tired of waiting for pages to load and want up-to-the-minute information. Speed is the No. 1 factor," Graves says.

About six years ago, WildBlue identified rural communities as a niche market, says Brad Greenwald, vice president of sales and marketing for the company.

"About 15% of the nation's Internet users were being served only through dial-up services or being underserved by other DSL dealers," Greenwald adds. "We wanted to change that by providing a DSL-like Internet connection, which could reach smaller communities."

Commercial sales of WildBlue were launched in the summer of 2005; now the company serves more than 100,000 U.S. customers. About 10,000 customers joined each month in their first year.

"Every month, we've had an increase in activity," Greenwald says. "Often it takes time to get word to rural areas and for them to be comfortable with new technologies. But, it has been a joy to see the satisfaction and excitement WildBlue is generating."

With more than a year under the company's belt, they are most proud of customers' reactions. A 95% satisfaction rate reiterates that rural areas need reliable, accessible Internet, just as much as those living in the city.

"The key thing is that it's affordable," Greenwald says. "We are able to offer premium service at a comparable price of $49.95 per month. Equipment costs $299, or during our current promotion $199, and we provide free installation."

Once a WildBlue system is installed, there is no need to "dial" in; just a click takes you to the Internet-savvy world. A WildBlue satellite dish can be mounted on the side of a home, barn or shop office to receive information from the satellite.

"Typically, if you can get satellite TV in the continental U.S., you can get WildBlue," Greenwald says.

For more information, log on to WildBlue's Web site at www.wildblue.com or call (866) WILDBLUE.

Better Access Thanks to USDA

USDA is also pushing for high-quality Internet access in rural areas, and your community has the opportunity to get involved.

The USDA Rural Broadband Access Loan and Loan Guarantee Program provides loans to construct, improve or acquire facilities and equipment for broadband service in rural communities.

Recently, a broadband loan was awarded to the Salem, Ill., community to provide more than 34,000 residential and business subscribers with reliable Internet access.

More information about telecommunications and broadband Internet services for rural areas is on the USDA Rural Development Web site, www.rurdev.usda.gov.