NATCHEZ — By this time next year, the combined efforts of a Texas-based fiber optic company and millions in federal stimulus dollars are scheduled to result in high-speed Internet access for rural Adams County residents.

At its meeting Monday, the Adams County Board of Supervisors passed a motion lending its support to BSI Cable, based in Balch Springs, Texas, to move forward on a project that will install a fiber optic network in Adams County.

BSI President and CEO Gerry Locke said Amite, Claiborne and Jefferson counties have also given their support to the project.

And BSI representatives are working to bring the yet-to-be built network to Wilkinson County also.

Locke said since bringing broadband Internet service to sparsely populated areas is so cost prohibitive the areas are simply passed over.

“For so many years these areas have been ignored,” Locke said. “It’s a really tough business model.”

But Locke is hoping his company will be able to use federal stimulus money to change that.

By next Friday Locke said BSI will have applied for approximately $20 million in stimulus funding that has been appropriated specifically to bring broadband Internet service to rural areas.

Additionally, BSI will provide a 20 percent match to the government’s funding with their own cash.

Locke said while the project represents a sizeable investment for his company, there are so many large portions of Mississippi with little or no Internet access that broadband installation would represent a major technology boost to the underserved areas.

The supervisors gave their unanimous support to the project.

Supervisor Mike Lazarus said the availability of high-speed Internet access in areas that have little or no current access, would improve the quality for those impacted residents.

“Kids can use it for their homework, it’s just a great resource,” Lazarus said. “I know I can’t live without it.”

Locke said once funding is in place construction on the “shovel-ready project” could begin as early December or January, with project completion coming in August or September.

While the new Internet service won’t be free, stimulus stipulations indicate the service should be designed to be affordable for the rural populations.

Locke said while it’s too early to predict what monthly subscription could cost, business models on similar projects already in place are up to 40 percent less expensive than traditional providers.

“We want to be able to make this available to as many people as we can,” Locke said. “We’ll be running a fiber optic cable through (Adams County) and branching it out to all the deep rural areas.”

Locke said once the new system is up and running participating counties will receive 2 percent of the company’s revenue to help promote the new broadband access.

“We can run fiber optic lines across the whole country,” he said. “But if residents don’t utilize it, it’s worthless.”