CRAIG, Colo.—Moffat County government offices and the Moffat County School District are struggling with low-speed Internet connections until they can get hooked up to a new statewide computer system, hurting their ability to get their work done.
Officials say it will be next year at the earliest before they can hook up with the EAGLE-Net network.
“I just don’t know what to think. They do a lot of talking without much action. It seems like they’re just jerking around the people they promised,” Moffat County Commissioner Chuck Grobe said.
The project funded with $100 million in federal stimulus money has resumed work after the grant was suspended in December over environmental issues with the project’s routes and problems with permits.
EAGLE-Net representatives visited Moffat County on Tuesday for the first time in five weeks, highlighting the procedures and problems that the broadband Internet alliance currently is facing.
Company vice president Chip White told commissioners the company plans to meet deadlines set by the federal government.
Work on the statewide broadband Internet system began 36 months ago, but only 17 of those have been spent on actual construction of the network because of delays and a temporary suspension of EAGLE-Net’s grant because of failure to follow environmental regulations.
Of the original $100 million federal grant, only about $8 million remains available. The network also earns roughly $150,000 per month from complete and active locations around the state.
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Information from: Craig Daily Press,
