Preston is a rural community of 5,800 people in Franklin County in the South-East corner of Idaho. Following a few years of unprecedented population growth and struggling with uneven internet service across the community, the City Council is focused on making the city a leader in broadband connectivity so that all existing and new residents have access to fast, reliable internet service.

Some areas are currently limited to a single provider and others have only wireless or satellite options. The City Council’s ambition is for all residents to have internet access via fiber, with greater speeds and reliability. And with median income 14% below the federal average, affordability is a crucial part of the City’s strategy, ensuring that cost is not a barrier to access. The Build Better Broadband grant will prepare the city to develop and manage the infrastructure that residents need to connect.

 Chris Larsen, City Councilman said: “Doing something of this magnitude for city residents would mean greater access to learning, healthcare, telework, and entertainment. Affordable fiber would level the playing field and impact our local economy as we continue to grow. We want to be prepared for the present as well as the future, and this would allow us to be ready for both.”