One rural village in Illinois isn't waiting for a big company to improve phone, television, and internet services. The Viola Home Telephone Company will begin a project to bring the speed and bandwidth of fiber optic cable to its customers.
It's possible with a $3.3 million low-interest loan from the US Department of Agriculture.
Jay Barton, General Manager of the Viola Home Telephone Company, says the company has been privately owned by local stockholders since the early 1900's.
More than three years ago, the company board decided to invest in fiber optic cable, then applied for the loan from the US Agriculture Department.
The company serves more than 100 square miles around Viola, with about 500 voice customers and more than 350 internet customers.
Viola Home Telephone has a contract with a Wisconsin company to lay the fiber optic cable. And Barton says work will begin on Tuesday. He hopes the project will be completed in September. Then he and his employees will connect each customer to the new, fiber optic network.
