(8/14) On August 10, the Thurmont Internet Commission briefed the town council on their current plans to bring wireless internet to residents of Thurmont. The Commission was established in 2020 to investigate the feasibility and costs of a municipally owned internet provider.
The purpose of a Thurmont-owned service would be to provide businesses and residents with an optional internet provider. "The idea is not to replace services, but to provide competition to those services already available," said Chairman Elliot Jones.
Jones had the idea of a locally owned service while running for a seat of the Town Council last year and garnered the support of Commissioner Martin Burns. The Internet Commission was subsequently established in March to amass information and explore options, and to report their findings to the council.
Community interest for the project really took off after a recent survey was sent out to the community. The survey received 117 respondents and gauged interest for high-speed internet as well as what prices residents would be willing to pay, according to Jones.
After Requests for Quotations were sent out in April, the only consistently interested company bidding was Civitas Networks. Civitas’ bid proposal was to provide wireless internet services in town which include the use of existing water towers to install transmitters, according to Commissioner Martin Burns, who acts as the liaison to the Internet Commission.
Jerry Kirshman, Chief Executive Officer of Civitas Networks said the equipment to be utilized for the wireless project has a long-life expectancy, and as technology continues to improve, it is expected to be replaced and updated. "A partnership between Civitas and the town", Kirshman said, "would allow Thurmont to have control over wireless prices for the community."
The pilot phase of the potential project would lay transmitters on one water tower and measure response, while the second and third phase would add additional transmitters to two or three other water towers to help overlap the service area.
The three existing towers are located at Easy Street, Orchard Hills, and Eyler Road Park. The second phase of the project will expand the service to full community coverage, said Jones.
Details, dynamics, and costs are in the process of being discussed. Representatives from Civitas Networks are scheduled to present and answer council questions at the next meeting.
A public hearing is anticipated for a later date, according to Chief Administrative Officer Jim Humerick.
The internet commission consists of several local individuals, and anyone interested in joining can contact Elliot Jones for more information.
