Horseshoe Bay tackles obstacles to broadband

By Lew K. Cohn
Managing Editor

Horseshoe Bay's terrain and sprawl makes it difficult to run fiber optic wiring underground for broadband internet services, an advisory committee reported to City Council Tuesday, July 16.

Mayor Pro Tem Jerry Gray, who serves as liaison to the city's Broadband Advisory Committee, also told his fellow council members it was not an easy task for the committee to determine the best internet options for city residents.

“We explored multiple options to enhance broadband performance,” Gray said. “The city has plenty of challenges to running fiber optic wiring, including the terrain. Plus, houses are scattered about throughout the city, so it is economically difficult for a company to justify that type of investment.”

A study by the Broadband Advisory Committee in 2018 showed the city has 3,400 homes on 150 miles of roadway for an average of 23 homes per mile. Generally, internet service providers cannot justify the cost of installing cable until it reaches 50 homes per mile. . . .

Find the rest of this story in the Tuesday, July 23 issue of The Highlander, the newspaper of record for the Highland Lakes. To offer a comment or news tip, email lew@highlandernews.com. To subscribe to our publication or the E-edition, call 830-693-4367.