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The new network
will save entities within the county $50,000 - $100,000 each year
in money that would have been spent on T1 connections, while paving
the way for economic development. Access and advertising fees
will be utilized to maintain the network. Businesses, such as
Citizens State Bank of Somerville, are already committed to buying
into network benefits.
"I'm definitely
not a techie, but I realize that this offers huge cost and time
savings," says Bank President Ben Flencher. "We have four bank
locations, and that means that official meetings require travel
time for our 10 most expensive employees. If we can do these meetings
over the web with video and audio conferencing, that means immediate
savings for the bank."
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Honey
Dowdy, former president of BC-WIN, believes that this interest
is just the beginning, and she credits the BC-WIN task force
and the Center for Community Support with opening the floodgates
to economic development.
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| "You
can't be competitive [for economic development and industrial
recruitment] unless you have the know-how and infrastructure,"
explains Dowdy. "It is obvious that the telephone company
is not going to put expensive infrastructure into a rural
area if they are not going to get a return on their investment.
We have got to be creative, imaginative and determined." |
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The BC-WIN
project has already begun a ripple effect. Task forces from Lufkin,
Lexington, Giddings, and Beaumont have visited Burleson to explore
the possibility of using similar technology in their own communities.
Egger tips
her hat to the "tremendous service" provided by the Center for
Community Support. "Small schools and communities do not have
grant writers on staff nor extra funds to hire them," says Egger.
"The Center for Community Support provides a much needed and appreciated
service."
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