You may have network connectivity problems
By JOSH MCDONALD
Staff Reporter
For the past year and a half, Shoshone County has been patiently waiting as Syringa Networks began the process of selling and installing fiber optic lines that would bring much-desired broadband internet services to the Silver Valley.
Last November, it was revealed by a former Syringa Networks employee that this process had hit a significant snag, and unfortunately for those who were looking forward to the faster Internet — that process is still on hold.
Syringa Networks had been laying miles of fiber optic lines in a conduit that runs along Interstate 90 and had even reportedly made it as far as Cataldo. Everything had been going according to plan until the technicians laying the lines discovered that some of the locations that were supposed to have the conduit were missing, basically halting any further progress.
The contract Syringa Networks originally signed with the Idaho Transportation Department said that there was a conduit along the entirety of I-90, but after reviewing their contract and their information, they determined there was no conduit there.
“We ran into some issues out on the highway,” the former Syringa Networks employee had said. “Our operation is shut down as of now, but we are working with our engineering department and outside clients to come up with a solution.”
The technicians had gotten just outside Cataldo when the discovery was made, which has prompted the engineers to weigh the options regarding whether they want to continue running underground or possibly change the method through which they are bringing their services through Shoshone County.
“The project is still on hold currently,” Syringa Networks account executive Loren Whitten-Kaboth said. “We are still trying to figure out the missing conduit. Right now we are working with ITD and AT&T to see if we can come to an agreement.”
There is no word yet as to what agreement they may be coming to as representatives from both ITD and AT&T couldn’t be reached for comment.
As far as liability is concerned, there was confusion as to who is to be held responsible for the interruption in work.
According to Larry Price, a regional sales manager with Syringa Networks, there were Silver Valley businesses who purchased services from the company, but he declined to provide anymore information than what Whitten-Kaboth had already given.
Syringa Networks’ fiber optic lines were promised to bring high speed internet through Shoshone County where the service can be sold to businesses and then redistributed to residential customers through companies like Suddenlink, but as of right now, those plans are going to remain on hold.
The Shoshone News-Press will continue to update this story as more information becomes available.
Despite Syringa Networks' current shortcomings, a group of local officials met on Tuesday morning at the Wallace School District office to discuss how to navigate the current situation.
More information from that meeting will be available in the News-Press Weekend Edition.