By Stephen Smoot
It all came from “a group effort of ‘can we do this’ and ‘how beneficial will this be?’” That was how Jena Miller, general manager of Spruce Knob Seneca Rocks Telephone, described the team effort that helped to bring the latest round of broadband expansion to Pendleton County. She added that “we’re growing, slowly, but surely.”
Miller shared, “We worked closely with Laura Brown at the EDA, the county commission, and Rick Gillespie with emergency services.” Kory Feagans, outside plant manager, also stated that “we’ve been proactive with making good relationships.”
Feagans added that “we were at the right place at the right time to put ourselves out there to be a part of the bigger picture.”
SKSRT serves as a non-profit telecommunications cooperative, much like Moorefield based Hardy Telecommunications. Both companies utilize a New Deal era federal incentive that compensates them for every customer that gets a connection to landline telephone service. Both companies turn the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration program into a modern boost in expanding fiber service to customers.
As Miller explains, many area residents have a satellite option for internet service, if not always broadband, but fiber “is a secure connection. There’s not really an unknown. There’s more unknowns on the satellite end. To have the security of fiber to the home is beneficial.”
Despite the excitement of impending expansion, Miller shared that SKSRT will continue to put existing customers first, valuing the strong reputation for good customer service that they have earned in approximately 50 years of operation. Feagans noted that if technicians notice an issue at a residence, they will respond even before the customer places the call.
Another benefit of service with SKSRT, as Miller and Feagans stated, is reaching a human being when calling about an issue or a concern, as well as rapid response.
Targeted addresses and areas were chosen after careful consideration and working with local authorities. Feagans explained that a SKSRT representative, likely plant record administrator Miriam Hedrick, will be going door to door to “contact people that we can hook up.”
Those who respond within the allotted period of time will have fiber connected on schedule. Those who miss the deadline for signing up might have to go to the back of the line. Feagans urged, “If we contact you, respond as soon as possible to get on the list.”
Governor Jim Justice on July 31 announced that 10 broadband projects, mostly in the Potomac Highlands, would receive broadband expansion funds.
SKSRT received funds to support three separate expansion projects. The first, including Franklin and Milam, will fund a 23-mile expansion to 83 targeted addresses with a total cost of $1,331,945 with the Pendleton County Commission providing matching funds of $22,000 toward the total of $77,000.
The second project, running 30 miles of fiber in Franklin and Upper Tract to 123 targeted addresses, will cost a total of $1,390,842 with $32, 400 of the $113,000 in total matching funds coming from the county commission.
The third project will target 114 addresses with 19 miles of fiber in Brandywine, Sugar Grove, and Milam with a total cost of $980,000. Approximately $26,200 of the $91,700 in matching funds came from the county commission.
Other Potomac Highlands awardees were Shentel in Grant County, Micrologic in Grant and Mineral counties, and Digital Connections/DBA Prodigi in Tucker County.
Miller summed up SKSRT’s approach, whether with longtime customers or those added through the LEAD grants, “We are a business, but we have a conscience. We want to put ourselves in your shoes.”
