A new fiber optic broadband service is bringing high-speed Internet access to rural Worcester County residents with limited or no online connectivity, while also paving the way for an affordable future of TV viewing.
Talkie is a Maryland-based Internet Service Provider that’s been servicing Worcester County for about four years. The company is starting to see major growth in its customer base, capturing about 9,000 households in Worcester, as more and more residents are opting out of pricey traditional cable TV and Internet service.
“We’re working toward access in the municipalities like Pocomoke and Berlin, but the main goal is to get to the customers who can’t be reached by anybody else,” said Talkie construction foreman Gary Rife. “I know a lot of people are excited by that, because nowadays, high-speed Internet is just as necessary as your electric. The goal is to reach the unserved.”
Talkie has five to eight crews working daily in Worcester County, Rife said. Areas around Pocomoke City, Snow Hill, and Stockton will have service ready by spring, he said. From there, service will be offered north of Snow Hill toward Berlin. Service in Ocean City is not part of the plan because the resort already has existing cable and Internet.
As of this month, Talkie has requested to enter into a franchise TV service agreement with Worcester County, which will yield a revenue stream for the county. In exchange for letting Talkie use the county’s right-of-way when installing fiber optic lines, the county gets 5 percent of its revenue.
“I’ve had many people say, ‘they’ll never come to my house, I’m too far out in the sticks.’ Don’t count yourself out – it’s going to be there. And then they see the orange cones out. Fiber’s coming. They’re completely surprised it’s happening in their locations,” said Brian Jones, Worcester County’s director of IT.
Talkie , glofiber and Choptank electric are all offering internet service. Comcast’s monopoly is over, Through greediness and incompetence at the management level they’re bleeding subscribers