A scheduled equipment test within the next two weeks will be step one to help determine the feasibility of high-speed Internet connectivity for rural residents of Bossier Parish who live in areas with little or no broadband coverage.
Officials with Monroe-based US WiFi were given permission Tuesday by the Bossier Parish Police Jury’s broadband study committee to mount signal transmitting equipment on the parish courthouse tower. Receivers will be placed at selected residences in the test area to check signal strength and quality.
Following the testing period, parish officials plan to seek input on public interest for receiving broadband services in rural areas. US WiFi has already received permission from the police jury to install a 150-foot unmanned wireless internet pole on property just off Linton Cutoff Rd.
If the equipment test is successful, and public interest is sufficient, US WiFi plans call for a series of transmitting sites, using existing towers throughout the parish to bring broadband to all rural areas.
