Representatives from Charter Spectrum internet gathered with local elected officials at the Dover Lodge in Wright City last Friday to celebrate their expansion of broadband services into rural areas within Warren County. 

Among those in attendance were District 26 State Senator Ben Brown, District 42 State Representative Jeff Myers, Truesdale Mayor Jerry Cannon and County Commissioner Matt Flake. There were also officials from Charter Spectrum and members of both the Warrenton and Wright City Chambers of Commerce. 

Jeff Lindsey with Charter was proud of their achievements as they continue to bring broadband internet to rural areas like Warren County. 

“At Spectrum we’re very happy to do that hard work to get more broadband out to rural farms. To actually go through those models or holes or undergrounding, to get that fiber out is more work than doing it in an area where the population densities are higher, but it is very rewarding work for us,” Lindsey said. 

Along with the speakers at the event there was also a demonstration available of how charter installs their broadband services including the fiber optic cables used in broadband internet.

District 42 State Representative Jeff Myers was one of the speakers at the event and he was glad they were able to coordinate the expansion of broadband internet in the area and thought it was vital, especially for the county’s rural farmers. 

He said the new broadband connections would make it easier for rural students to access the internet, for rural families to work from home and get involved in e-commerce. 

“It’s so important that our people in our community be able to enjoy those same things that you get to enjoy in St. Louis or St. Charles, in areas that are more connected. So I’m really looking forward to this,” Myers said. 

Brown also delivered remarks at the event and although his constituency extends beyond Warren County he recognized the importance of expanding access to high-speed internet and the value it would provide to his constituents in Warren County. 

“It’s so much more these days than being able to stream videos or have your kid kneeled up being distracted on a tablet at a political function you might have dragged them along to,” Brown joked. “It’s about healthcare, access to healthcare, educational opportunities, and in this state, one issue that we’re seeing is that we’re having a lot of people that are migrating away in more rural areas and part of that is because of a lack of access to these things.”