LAKE COUNTY >> A new Internet and data service is about to set up in Lake County, aiming to connect even the most remote areas.
Lake County Broadband Solutions (LCBS) finalized their business plan in May and is looking to launch as early as August of this year. Andy Nester, the developer of LCBS, said this network will bring a competitive, fast, reliable network to the rural area.
“I lived here a couple years and saw broadband was poor in the area and I looked to see if that was something that could be done. Lake County is a beautiful place to live, but because of the economic conditions it is difficult to support a wireless business,” Nester said.
Nester said he attempted to gain support from locals who would help fund this project back in 2010, but fell short. This led him to drop the project until 2016, when supporters again asked him to look into another effort.
Since July of 2016, he has been developing contributing partnerships with community members and he gained support for the business while also raising funds to get the project rolling. The project goal is approximately $300,000.
“Getting good broadband in Lake County will get people moving here and building here. People don’t buy here because they couldn’t get decent broadband connectivity,” Nester said. “Coverage of AT&T and Mediacom doesn’t cover all areas like a broadband would.”
Although he has asked for support from businesses, the main focus for LCBS will be for residents and low-income households.
“It will be cheaper and much faster. We will have a low-income service that we can provide. They won’t get the full bandwidth, but they will get enough to satisfy their basic needs,” Nester said. “Businesses will be value added to the network and we’ll sell specific business services and offer special services for others.”
To ensure a constant connection, Nester said they would be operating through two fiber connections from two separate vendors so if one fails, another connection will still be able to provide service. The service will be monitored 24/7 and to give full coverage there will be antennas place around the county.
Nester is currently looking for a potential office space for the company.
He added that they are looking into getting special package deals for the Office of Emergency Services as well as other medical places to offer a separate frequency that is secure and helps reach out to services for when disasters happen, like the recent ones the county has suffered.
“We talked to a couple people in the fire department and we are looking to talk to the new person who handles the OES in Lake County,” Nester said. “It’s those types of applications that fill a niche to drive a solution to a problem.”
Nester founded and served as the President and CEO of two Wireless Broadband Solutions Providers and in 1996 set up and operated one of the first in the country. He said setting up wireless services in rural counties is something he has done before and wants to bring something positive and reliable to the area.
Although LCBS is launching in August, it will take around 10 months for service to be at full capacity Nester said. The launch will start small and expand as more antennas are placed and service is provided.
“I have successfully built wireless systems in rural areas and they are a challenge. Lake County is a challenge, but it’s possible,” Nester said.
For more information contact Andy Nester at andy@lakecountybroadbandsolutions.com
