An Open Letter on the Future of BEAD

SEMO Electric Cooperative, through its subsidiary GoSEMO Fiber, provides high-speed internet service to over 10,000 subscribers in rural Missouri. In this open letter, SEMO urges members of the Missouri congressional delegation to support the state’s approach to expanding fiber through the the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program. Fiber, SEMO says, is essential infrastructure for Missouri to recover from tornadoes, storms, and other disasters. "The recent series of tornadoes and wind storms, with damages to date well into the millions of dollars, have made for a long, tough spring. These storms make one thing abundantly clear…the importance of fiber broadband infrastructure in rural areas! Our ability as a utility to communicate, mobilize resources, and help in restoring things back to as normal as possible was because of this very key infrastructure that is fortunately in place in our area."