Rural high speed internet options

One circumstance that is going to be hard to deal with is lack of broadband, or weak broadband within the area.  Currently, the state is very behind in technology.  I think I read it was something like 44th out of 50 states.  This will harm the state more than help it in today's environment.

Broadband is basically internet service.  The role it places in our culture?   It should also be treated as a utility.

Currently, we have DSL at the property and I had to fight to get it.  AT&T wants to grandfather DSL, and then push people into their popular (and no doubt cost effective) service called Uverse.  The problem is they aren't willing to lay the cable - or in this case fiber optic cable - in order for homes to have their updated service.  Our subdivision has it wired, and they won't hook it up.  I'm guessing its not wired in the areas you have to drive through to get to our subdivision.  They don't give you reasons of course.  The operators just tell you that your location can't have it.

Once you grandfather a program the current customers can keep it, but they will not offer it to anyone else.  I'm assuming until the service completely breaks down current customers can keep it.  Once that is gone?  You are basically left with nothing.

You could get Satellite internet, but that basically deals with gigabytes like your cellular phone does.  It's basically a glorified hotpot, and those are expensive!  They also aren't as reliable as wired services for internet.  For example, if your dish tv goes out due to the weather?  You internet will too since it uses basically the same technology.  I have no doubt the weather also effects your speed.  A wired service - like your landline phone as opposed to your cellular phone - majority of time is much more effective, and weather isn't a factor.  Speeds are better as well.

Copper Wire Services

DSL is basically old technology.  It is run through landline phone wires.  Those are called Copper wires.  Many companies like AT&T are getting away from copper wire, and they claim its due to maintenance and servicing of these wires.  What is sad to me is in time the traditional home/business phone will be part of our history.

When you are speaking of rural areas like ours?  Landlines could be your only source to call for help.  Cell phone service is still pretty weak when it comes to many rural areas.  In our area they are petitioning AT&T to place another cell phone tower in the area, because we a tragedy in the area due to lack of service.  The thought of removing copper wire?  It would be irresponsible for them to do that.

KentuckyWired

The state of Kentucky has a program that they are running fiber optic from one side of the state to the other.  The program is called, Kentuckywired.  It is the first state in the Union to even attempt this type of project, and if it goes as planned?  It will be a huge boost to the state overall.

Basically this program is laying down fiber optic cable for use in your governmental buildings, but they are also including extra fiber optic cables in which internet providers (like AT&T) can tap into so they can offer high speed broadband to their customers.

This is a HUGE project, and will take a while.  They have started already in the Eastern part of the state.  They will slowly move towards the western end of the state.

The fiber optic cable will be an open access network.  What that means is your internet provider can TAP into this fiber optic cable that the state laid down, and since they don't have as much to laid down themselves?  Your chances of getting broadband go UP substantially.

Many people get confused, and think the state is getting into the broadband business.  That's not the case!  They are offering broadband businesses the option to use their fiber optic cable to expand services to their customers.  Yes, no doubt your internet provider will RENT this from the state.  It's only fair!

This program is very exciting, and I'm not sure people realize how much this could impact their communities!  In the past you might have been told internet will never reach you, and those circumstances may have changed for them.

Circumstances in which your medical records are emailed the hospital you are in en route to in the ambulance?  The records WILL even get there before YOU do!  Not so much now!

Electrical Cooperatives Doing Broadband

Our local electric company is called Pennyrile Electric.  They had a annual meeting this summer at a local fairground, and we attended since we were in town.  I spoke to the CEO of the cooperative, because I had read in many rural areas their cooperatives WERE the broadband provider.  They basically added fiber optic cable to their lines.  It sounds like Pennyrile have already started to study this, and honestly?  I would rather give my business to them then a large company like AT&T.

There are also rural communities in which their electrical cooperatives also added cable tv to their services.  What is nice about that is it gives you more than one option for services.  When you have more services available?  It creates competition that might help everyone's bottom line.

With the case of Kentucky Wired?  Pennyrile could tap into the fiber optic that the state lays down, and then it would cost them less to bring their own fiber optic to their electric customers.  Their electricity would be more reliable as well, because they would be able to run electric service though the wires as well.

Broadband Grants from the Government for Rural Broadband

The Federal government issues RUS grants and other programs.  Electric Cooperatives have been petitioning the federal government to concentrate MORE on technology in rural areas.  They are being left behind!

Companies like AT&T also can apply for these grants, but honestly I don't see HOW they are expanding anything of substance within our area.  I'm sure more populated areas of the county are offered their services like Uverse, but these grants are geared towards areas like ours being offered the same.  It helps with the costs to place the infrastructure in for the more rural customers, and shouldn't be used for places they were planning on wiring anyway.  That was the purpose of the grants themselves afterall.

Rural high speed internet options?   It might not be a pipe dream after all! HORRAY!!

Bridges on Land Between The Lakes

When you travel to the Land Between the Lakes area you will encounter two bridges.  One Bridge goes over Kentucky Lake (Eggner Ferry Bridge), and the other goes over Lake Barkley (Henry R. Lawrence Memorial Bridge).  Highways 68-80 is what you travel on to get from Aurora (Kentucky Lake) to Canton (Lake Barkley).  

EGGNER’S FERRY BRIDGE is located on the Kentucky Lake side.  

The original Eggner’s Ferry bridge was built in 1932, and it was two lanes.  From what I understand it was originally build for the Tennessee River, but later in 1943 they had to make the bridge HIGHER to form Kentucky Lake itself.  Kentucky Dam feeds this lake, and from we were told Kentucky Lake is deeper than Lake Barkley.

Both bridges were built before the lakes were impounded.  They do show their age!  As of today (4/17) the Kentucky Lake side has been rebuilt, and is a much less scary experience going over.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet plans were to begin work to widen 68-80 through the park to four lanes beginning in 2004; however, these plans have met with opposition from groups that the road would damage the environment and bring development to LBL (Land Between The Lakes).

The construction was slowed down until a ship hit Eggner Ferry side, and it seems to have brought the construction date forward!  You don’t feel like you are going fall through the bridge into the Lake any longer on the Eggner Ferry Side!

The above is a video on the history of the bridge, and it shows a time lapse video on the new one being built.  

When Eggner Ferry Bridge was complete enough to travel on they did a little demolition.   Yes, they BLEW it UP!  When the Henry R. Lawrence Memorial Bridge time comes?  You know I will make the trip, and watch that bridge get BLOWN to pieces!!

CREDIT KENTUCKY TRANSPORTATION CABINET

In the above photo you will see the older Eggner Ferry Bridge on the left hand side, and see the comparison during construction for the newer one.  HUGE difference…HUGE!!

Construction on Henry R. Lawrence 6/16

The above video is the Eggner Ferry Bridge demolition.  It's rather cool to watch if you are into that kind of thing...which I am!!

They are currently working on the Henry R. Lawrence Memorial Bridge (built 1932) on the other side to look just like its counterpart.  That goes over Lake Barkley right into Canton, and it is STILL scary!  

One trip we brought a U-Haul with some items we were going to store in our barn.  My Husband's twin brother was driving it down, and a Semi was coming from the other direction at the same time.  Mike had to get UP on the crumbling cement curb in order to pass without getting hit.

Just to give you an idea of the drive?  I found a video on youtube of a couple going over the bridge in an RV.

Keep in mind RV's can be loud when driving, and hit bumps in the road.  It's the nature of the beast.  Yet, if you look at the road you can see the gaps in the cement in which you can literally see the water.  Towards the end the video you can hear the wife talk about how close he had to get to the side of the bridge so you don't NAIL oncoming traffic!

All I can say is this is a HUGE difference compared to when we first started coming down to visit Cadiz Kentucky.  The four lanes are needed, and those bridges?  The needed an overhaul before I was born I would bet!  

Eggner Ferry Bridge During Construction.

I think one of the funniest things I have seen during construction of the Henry R. Lawrence Memorial Bridge was fishing boats PUSHING the barges into place to start construction for the day.  Yes, I'm talking about bass boats.  You would think they would use a small tug boat or something, but they didn't. 

Labor Day Week at Lake Barkley

Turkeys In Cadiz Kentucky

Recently we went back down to our retirement property in Canton, Kentucky for Labor Day.  One of the things we do enjoy is the wildlife.  You can heard the birds chatter all the time, and of course you hear noises from other critters.

One thing I noticed is you can see Deer almost any time of the day.  It's surprising because normally you see them during dawn or dust.  One of the first trips Ken and I made to Cadiz, Kentucky we noticed they were out all the time.  Everywhere we drove one would POP up on the side of the road.  We decided these deer must be following us.

Deer Camera 1 in Canton Kentucky

Above is a picture from a trail camera we put up near a deer feeder.  Ken has been using a product recently called Antler Max.  Although we did have some deer in this area as you can see it really wasn't a high traffic area.   We have since moved the trail camera and the feeder to a different location right after this picture was taken.  The feeder was completely empty when we returned.

This last trip down we stayed at Lake Barkley State Resort Park, and we were in the Little River Lodge.  We had invited family and friends, and the room was clean and neat.

Little River Lodge

I will mention their electric plugs inside their rooms (at least ours) were old, and my cell phone charger would NOT stay in the wall.  My friend Christine and I used the bathroom plugs instead.  I have to wonder if a three prong adaptor or just a surge protector would work in their outlets.  I mean our cell phone chargers literally just fell out of the outlet itself.

Another issue was the card reader door locks.  They ask you to keep it away from magnetics, cell phones, etc.  I kept it in my back pocket, and I had to return twice to have them replace it.  If I were guessing it more due to age, or maybe the hot and humid weather makes it act up.  It really wasn't that big of deal to drive up, and have them re key it due to the short distance.

I didn't realize when I made the reservation that they had steep stairs, and getting our suitcases and coolers up that hill?  WELL, we did get our workout in that day!  I had asked for no stairs when I made the reservation for my Brother in Law, so I'm not sure why they didn't mention those.  We were on the ground floor, but we still had stairs!

Other than that?  The staff were really nice, and helpful.  We saw DEER each time we drove into the Little River Lodge, along with some Turkey.  It seems like a nice place if you have a LARGE party, because you can rent out the whole building (family reunions, etc).  We were told they have a meeting room in the building so your group can get together.  I can't say to much about that, because we didn't even try to check it out.  The rooms were in the $50 range per night, and it was close to our retirement property.

While you are there you can take advantage of the other amenities like their pool and fitness center.  We brought our own towels, but they did have some pool side as well.  The pool has a very pretty view of Lake Barkley.  The water was refreshing!  The lodge itself has a restaurant, and the food was surprisingly good!  They had a seafood buffet over the weekend, and it was delicious!

One thing I missed, because silly ME didn't make reservations over a holiday weekend was the boating.  In the past we have taken out a Pontoon boat along with a waverunner.  The last time we were there we rented from The Moors on the Kentucky Lake Side.  Lake Barkley Marina is very big, and some of the boats I swear are as big as a city BLOCK!  Parts of the dock it seems are permanently anchored to the bottom, because it does not move.

Lake Barkley Marina Restaurant

We had lunch on the Marina.  There is a small restaurant next to the Marina Shop, and we ate while watching the boats come in.  Nice view for Lunch isn't it?

We are currently building a barn on our property, and hopefully we can get back soon.  The weather is nice, but mid afternoon seems the hottest part of the day.  Either camp out pool side, or if you are like us?  Relax in your rooms after running around all morning checking things out!

I will leave you with a video supplied by Lake Barkley Lodge showing parts of the grounds!