It all started in the spring of 2001, when county and community leaders and volunteers began a project to upgrade Eastland County technology by applying for a “TIF” (Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund) Community Network Grant targeted to bring the most up to date high-speed wireless technology to rural Texas. The county-wide effort resulted in a 2.65 million dollar grant to facilitate the upgrade in Eastland County. This is one of the few grants funded by TIF allowing non-profit and for-profit entities to share resources for sustainability of a project.
A non-profit corporation, Rural Texas Access (RTA), was formed, with a 17-person board, to administer the grant and oversee the project. The project is extensive in scope and includes:
- Microwave towers constructed and strategically placed
throughout Eastland County to allow Internet Service Providers to provide
wireless Internet Broadband Solutions
- Public computer access to county residents
- Technology training in each community
- User-friendly, extensive web portal online
- Wireless broadband service 30X faster than ordinary
dial up
Rural Texas Access provides the conduit for institutions, individuals, and businesses to access the technological advantages of the modern telecommunications network. High-speed wireless connections throughout the 952 square miles of Eastland County and surrounding area allow those seeking the benefits of a rural lifestyle to enjoy the best o both worlds.
Through the Eastland County Community Network (www.eastlandcountytexas.com) local owners, civic organizations, and individuals have state-of-the-art web services at their disposal. This web portal, developed by ClickFind, Inc. provides a system that empowers people with a private desktop to create branded portals and web sites, share content and manage their day-to-day activities.
This solution involves:
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The Right Technology for the Right Time
Rural Texas Access provides high-speed broadband
even on the outermost areas of our region. We have created an infrastructure
and network that makes our locale attractive to vendors and employers
of all fields. By assuming the expensive and often difficult “last
mile” costs, we can “bridge the digital divide.” Rural
Texas Access has created the potential for regional development in Eastland
and the surrounding rural counties.
Rural Texas Access offers broadband to your business
with speeds of +3Mbps. These speeds make it possible for predominately
urban businesses to be operated in a rural setting. Also, telemedicine
and enhancement of rural health services are now possible with live-stream
video capability.
Special Services
Rural Texas Access has always wanted to provide just that-Access for the seemingly unattainable-for rural Texans. Other services we offer:
- Technical training and educational opportunities
- Telemedicine and enhanced rural health services
- E-commerce for local government
- Computer access for the disabled
- Advanced agricultural applications
- Grant writing services for non-profits
- Distance-learning labs
- Emergency/Public service technical assistance
- Library services and equipment expansion
