Small Texas Towns, High Speed Connections
Clint, TX may only have 1,000 residents, but, like other small towns in Texas, it’s being opened up to new opportunities thanks to high-speed Internet.
What's more, thanks to a 2005 telecommunications bill passed in the state, they'll be in an unusual position for small-town Internet consumers: they'll have a choice. As noted in the Dallas Morning News, the state legislature and Public Utilities Commission have praised their private partners for their willingness to compete to provide Internet service to customers formerly left out of the market.
Testifying before the legislature, Clint Mayor Dale Reinhardt pointed to the importance of Internet access to the economy of smaller communities.
"Technology is critical to the future of rural communities. Fast Internet will help us attract successful people who love the rural life but need to be connected. We already have business people who could not live in Clint without DSL."
AT&T, TXU and other companies in Texas are all committing to expanding service. AT&T will make high-speed Internet available over phone lines, while TXU plans to use power lines. The comprehensiveness of these systems will make it more likely that Internet access will be accessible to all Texans.
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