Local business leader Rick Riddle visited Union County Commission April 9, asking commissioners to pass a resolution from First District Commissioner Stanley Dail taking steps towards greater broadband Internet access for Union County homes and businesses.

Riddle, whose family owns Seven Springs Farm, had some startling figures to share. He said 25 percent of Union Countians don't have access to broadband. That means that students can't complete schoolwork at home, adults can't pursue online degrees, and opportunities to work from home are limited.

In an interview prior to the April 9 Commission meeting, Riddle said that in today's world, broadband access is as important as access to roads and electricity.

"It's the most enabling technology that we have ever had the ability to use," he said.

Riddle's request was simple. He asked the Commission to rescind a broadband resolution passed in November 2017 and replace it with a new resolution that contains all the state requirements to add Union County to the list of Tennessee Broadband Ready Communities. With the new resolution in place, broadband service providers who apply for state grant funds to provide broadband in eligible underserved areas of Union County will receive 10 bonus points in grant scoring. One provider, Sunset Digital out of Claiborne County, has already proposed to provide service in Sharps Chapel under this program.

Riddle said lack of broadband is rife with "missed opportunities." He mentioned a local Realtor whose sale of a $1.2 million piece of property in Union County could have fallen through because the property did not have broadband access. With long drives from Union County to the nearest colleges, Riddle said broadband "breaks a barrier for education when people can pursue degrees from home."

In addition, rural homes are often located far from the main road, putting the cost of installing high-speed Internet through current service providers out of reach of many people.

"Although Comcast high-speed broadband is available on Highway 61 where we live, Comcast wanted over $9,000 to provide that service to our residence," Riddle said.

There is no cost to the county to become a Tennessee Broadband Ready Community. Gov. Bill Haslam has proposed $15 million in available grant funds for the 2018 state budget, Riddle said.

He mentioned that other grant and loan opportunities are available through the USDA Rural Development Office, including $38 million awarded to the Newport Utilities Board in 2017 to lay fiber optic cable throughout its service area.

"NUB plans to use high-speed communications to invite long-term, middle-class jobs into the area while retaining intelligent young people who would otherwise leave for large cities," Riddle said.

Results from County Commission were not available at press time.