Rural Broadband Spotlight: Community-Driven Innovation in Vergennes, Michigan

Ryan Peel, owner of Vergennes Broadband LLC, poses in front of a company banner.

Access to high-speed Internet is fast becoming as necessary to economic development as electricity or a telephone line. While the Internet is still considered by many to be a luxury or entertainment item, some are starting to realize that access to the Internet at broadband speeds is a vital tool for engagement in the modern American economy and culture.

Ryan Peel, owner of Vergennes Broadband LLC in Vergennes, Michigan, agrees. He has lived in this scenic rural town his entire life, and is continually frustrated by the lack of broadband access.

“It has been at least 11 years since cable Internet and DSL were first offered in the area, and still at least 50 percent of Vergennes Township is unable to acquire affordable high-speed service,” he said.

In 2009, the township of Vergennes partnered with nearby Lowell and Ada to conduct a survey designed to measure the extent of this broadband void. Of 26,000 residents, less than three percent had access to high-speed Internet.

Although the vast majority of the residents of Vergennes could be counted as potential customers, none of the nearby commercial service providers were willing to invest in the infrastructure required to bring broadband to the area.

Instead of giving up, Peel decided it was time to get creative.

Tried-and-True Meets Cutting Edge

The scenic town of Vergennes, Michigan.

Peel’s solution is an innovative blending of three technologies to form a community-driven network that offers the area’s greatest possibility for far-reaching broadband service at prices that residents can afford.

The first component is WiMAX in the 3.65 GHz band. PureWave radios will provide the primary network coverage, but here Peel found another road block—there are areas in Vergennes where WiMAX simply will not work.

“There are a significant number of people in the area that WiMAX cannot reach because of the terrain and tree cover, as is the nature of rural America,” Peel said. “That’s where the TV white-space device that Carlson offers comes into play.”

A TV band device, or TVBD, is the second component in the network plan. TV white-space technology is cutting-edge, and Carlson’s RuralConnect IP was the only U.S. VHF/UHF broadband radio Peel could find that supports the geolocation database required by the FCC.

“At this point Carlson seems to be way ahead,” said Peel. “This seemed to be the tree-busting technology that I had to get my hands on in order to really solve the problem. It wasn’t acceptable to me to have to say no to people that have beautiful lots filled with trees, but still couldn’t be reached by a traditional 900 MHz signal. I am really optimistic that Carlson’s TV white space radios can fill that gap.”

While these two technologies, when married together, promised a robust broadband network, Peel still wasn’t satisfied. Dropped cellphone calls are a very common problem in rural areas, and many residents of Vergennes were frustrated by these dropped calls nearly as much as they were by the lack of broadband Internet service. Peel decided to add supplemental value to his project and improve cellphone coverage in the area at the same time.

Small cellular base stations called femtocells make up the third and final component of the Vergennes network. Customers need simply plug the device into their new broadband Internet connection to boost their cell connection and drastically reduce the number of dropped calls they experience.

Rallying Support through Social Media

Like many small business and organizations in rural areas, Peel has had to stretch a small marketing budget as far as it will go. With only $395 earmarked for advertising, he has relied on social media tools such as Facebook to spread the word. As of today, the Vergennes Broadband Facebook page has 124 followers.

Peel has also created a pre-registration website for interested Vergennes residents. Through this site, he has collected more than 200 pre-registered potential customers.

“These are real names; these are real addresses,” he said. “I have them plotted on map and that’s a big impact statement right there.”

Potential subscribers are pre-qualified by comparing the customer’s address to a coverage map of the planned network. If it looks like a match, an on-site survey will be conducted to ensure that customers aren’t sold a system that won’t work.

The proposed plans are also very affordable, ranging from $39.99 per month for a 1 Mb connection to $59.99 per month for 2 Mb with a one-year contract, plus installation. Comparatively, some residents have been forced to pay hundreds of dollars per month for expensive T1 lines in order to work from home.

Grassroots Organizing

Peel’s blending of tried-and-true WiMAX and cutting-edge TV white-space technology is innovative, but it is his grassroots, community-focused approach to getting this project off the ground that is a truly inspiring example of the spirit of cooperation and fellowship that exists in rural America.

He not only leads the project, but personally organizes and works side-by-side with volunteers. He also intends to donate a portion of future subscriber revenues to a local foundation that providers opportunities to students in technology and innovation-focused fields.

Residents of Vergennes are also joining the fight for affordable broadband access.

“I actually have qualified people who have volunteered to do customer on-site installations,” Peel said. “It is an important part of the funding [for the project] that is somewhat hidden. It is a gift to the community. They are not receiving any compensation; they are just people that want to be involved. This demonstrated a lot of civic pride.”

Learn More

If you’d like to learn more about Vergennes Broadband, visit their website or their Facebook page. Stay tuned for more blog posts from Carlson about rural broadband and TV white space.