Residents on BHI to consider borrowing for broadband

BALD HEAD ISLAND, NC (AP) — Residents on Bald Head Island south of Wilmington will decide this fall whether the village should borrow $10 million to build its own broadband network.

The StarNews of Wilmington reports the island already has some DSL service and some slower-speed internet.

A request for proposals from the town for a partner to help operate a new network says the current service is not fast enough and is unreliable in bad weather.

Nationwide, about 100 local governments are taking steps to build their own broadband networks, according to the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. Often those towns are in remote areas.

Residents of the island will consider the proposal when they vote Nov. 3.