Greater access to high-speed Internet could spur economic growth across the region.
That was the main message small-business owners had for Rep. Scott Tipton, R-Cortez, Thursday at the Durango Public Library.
“Unless we get not just Internet access, but some fast Internet access, La Plata County will suffer,” said Jim Tencza, the owner of HDS Freight Services in Bayfield and a La Plata County planning commissioner.
The message was the same from businesses across the region, in all different industries.
Parelli Natural Horsemanship played a key role in bringing fiber optic Internet access to Archuleta County, but unless businesses are near U.S. Highway 160, the access is still limited, said Mark Weiler, the president of the company.
“Our community is dying. It is dying from the inside out,” he said.
Laying fiber-optic lines might not be financially realistic, but microwave links and a more equal playing field for Internet providers could help solve the problem, he said.
“Create an environment where the monopolistic patterns of CenturyLink do not preclude access to wireless Internet,” he said.
Internet access is also a barrier when recruiting businesses and people who work from home to Vallecito, said Paul Eckenrode, president of the Vallecito Lake Chamber of Commerce.
“This is something we are looking into,” Tipton said. “We are having conversations with CenturyLink.”
In August, CenturyLink accepted $26.5 million from the Federal Communications Commission to improve service to Colorado customers, according to a news release.
The company is working with the La Plata County Economic Development Alliance to identify areas that will see improved service, said Mark Soltes, a representative for the company in January.
In addition to lobbying for Internet, the group told Tipton the Affordable Care Act has slowed growth.
In some cases, owners have decided not to grow their businesses because of the law’s health care requirements.
“They could get larger, but they don’t want to get larger because it’s going to cost them more money,” said Liz Ross, the executive director of the Small Business Development Center.
mshinn@durangoherald.com
