Public meeting held on rural broadband in Poplar Bluff | Business

POPLAR BLUFF, MO (KFVS) - The availability of broadband and high speed internet was the hot top of a public meeting Wednesday in Poplar Bluff.

Ozark foothills revealed its plans and goals to help expand broadband service.

They want to help counties like Wayne and Ripley where a lot of people rely on satellite and dial up service.

"There is a belief that at some point the government will have to help subsidize this type of infrastructure and this type of service, as they did with telephone years ago," said Felicity Brady, Executive Director of the Ozark Foothills Planning Commission.  For providers themselves, it's just not going to be financially feasible for them to go into those more remote areas to provide that service."

After today's meeting the group will have more public meetings and plan to present their findings to state and federal lawmakers to discuss the next step.

Copyright 2012 KFVS. All rights reserved.