Ask Mr. Answer Person: "How can Decorah be so underserved for Internet access?"

Chris e-mails Mr. Answer Person: "I've grown greatly disenchanted with my internet service from Mediacom—and had issues  with Quest some years ago as well.  I've wanted to try Verizon/Century Link, but they tell me that they don't cover this area either for phone or internet service.  In the meantime, Mediacom has tried to justify its constant outages and poor service here by saying that things would be different "if you lived in Des Moines" (this quote from a service representative at Mediacom some months ago.)  If that is true, how can it be that a college town like Decorah can be so underserved by our communications networks?"

Mr. Answer Person says: "Let me mention two other choices--locally-owned companies Alpine Communications from Elkader and Northeast Iowa Telephone from Monona.  Both serve the Decorah area.

Let me also put in a plug for a website Mr. Answer Person has mentioned before--the State of Iowa's "Connect Iowa" website, accessible at http://www.connectiowa.org/

The State of Iowa website allows you to test your connection speed and to get a list of broadband providers serving your area.  As the website notes, "Connect Iowa, in partnership with the Iowa Economic Development Authority, is working to ensure that all can experience the benefits of broadband. Technology, especially widespread access, use, and adoption of broadband, improves all areas of life. Connect Iowa invites you to join us in changing communities and lives across Iowa.

The website also has maps showing the maximum Internet connection speeds in every Iowa community.  A .pdf file of the Winneshiek County map is posted at the bottom of this article.  It shows that many communi8ties in Winneshiek County have Internet connection speeds of between 10 Mbps to 25 Mbps.