FAIRMONT CITY, IL (KMOX) - A small Illinois village is hoping the wider community will rally to get them access to the internet.
"We can see the Arch from Collinsville Road. It's unbelievable that you can't get internet that other towns have". This resident of Fairmont City, Illinois says remote learning is an even greater challenge for her two children, because her community lacks reliable internet access. "A lot of times we have slower service. They may have to restart a video, or when there trying to connect to Google Meet then sometimes there is where you can't really see what's going on. You have to wait. Or we'll just go without service for some time."
Fairmont City has a population of a little more than 2,600 residents. 80-percent are hispanic. 40-percent of the population is at or below the poverty line.
Katie Heaton, Chairperson of the Latino Roundtable of Southwestern Illinois, says internet providers have been reluctant to invest in the community. "The only choice would be to go with satellite, which we have a provider in the area that is not reliable. And usually when people go satellite the prices are higher, with data caps and throttle backs once you hit your data limits."
State Farm Agent Tonia Interian has nominated Fairmont City to receive a $25,000 grant from her company, but the community has to get enough votes. "The grant of $25,000 is going to provide just a temporary solution, but it's going to help a lot of people in this community."
A grant would provide free WiFi for the village for up to 3 years using mobile hot spots. Voting is open until October 3.