Fed up with slow and spotty internet, a small Texas town built its own high-speed network

The problem facing Mont Belvieu is one familiar to many towns and rural areas in Texas and around the country. Major internet service providers don’t see a strong enough business case to expand their footprint, upgrade internet speeds or offer any internet service at all.

So Mont Belvieu took matters into its own hands: It decided to build and operate its own high-speed internet service.

The town of 7,500 joined a growing number of cities pouring millions of dollars into municipal broadband networks after feeling overlooked by big, publicly traded companies.

From Oregon to Tennessee, residents of cities plagued by slow speeds, high prices and few options waited to attract the attention and investment of major internet service providers. But as they watched the digital economy speed up and used the faster internet at their friends’ and families’ homes, they took action to ensure they wouldn’t be left behind. […]

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