“Do you want a vendor, or do you want a partner?”
Boonville Mayor Charlie Wyatt asked this rhetorical question of the crowd, as he and I announced the completion of the public-private project that’s bringing AT&T Fiber across his small city that’s located in Southwest Indiana.
Mayor Wyatt raised this point because he wanted to express his appreciation for AT&T being much more than just a vendor. He viewed us as a true teammate in the project that was funded, in part, by federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars.
As for his thoughts on whether other communities should follow in their footsteps, and use available federal funds to expand broadband?
“We encourage other cities to go along with us.”
The mayor, economic development and nonprofit leaders who joined us to celebrate the 4,000 new homes, farms and businesses that now have access to AT&T Fiber also talked about why this connectivity was so important to Boonville. In short, they said it brings Boonville into “the 21st Century and beyond.”
“Businesses want to know they have access to state-of-the-art connectivity,” said Warrick County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Shari Sherman.
As part of the celebration, AT&T collaborated with Compudopt to give away 30 computers to area students and families through Boonville Now, a local nonprofit. Since last summer, we’ve given nearly 120 computers to families in need in Boonville.
“It’s amazing to see the transition from the past, to now, where computers are running at lightning speed,” said Boonville Now Executive Director Jim Miller, a former high school teacher. “This new access to fiber and these new computers are helping connect our students to the world.”
Boonville is the latest Indiana community to wrap up its broadband expansion plans with AT&T. Nearby Vanderburgh County recently completed its AT&T Fiber project, as well.
To learn more about AT&T and Boonville’s public-private collaboration that’s opening the door to greater possibility, please click here.
