High-Speed Internet Isn't a Luxury; It's Our Lifeline

Last Tuesday, I lost a client. It wasn’t because of the quality of my work or a missed deadline. It was because my internet connection dropped for the third time during a critical video conference while I was trying to upload a large project file. My screen froze, the call ended, and by the time I got back online, the client had—politely but firmly—moved on to someone with a more reliable connection.

My story is not unique. It’s happening in homes and small businesses all over Washington County. In 2025, we can no longer treat reliable, high-speed internet as a luxury. It is a fundamental utility, as essential as electricity and running water.

Our children are being left behind when their homework requires them to stream educational videos on a connection that constantly buffers. Our local businesses are handicapped, unable to compete in an e-commerce world or use modern inventory and payment systems efficiently. Our senior citizens are cut off from the growing world of telehealth, a service that could revolutionize rural healthcare. And potential residents—the very people who could move here, buy homes, and enrich our community—are choosing other towns because the ability to work remotely is now a non-negotiable requirement.

This is an issue of economic survival and educational equity. We are ceding our future prosperity to the towns and counties that have made investing in broadband a priority. We can’t wait for a private company to decide we’re profitable enough to service. This needs to be a coordinated effort led by our county commissioners and state representatives.

We need to aggressively pursue state and federal grants designed for rural broadband expansion. We need to explore public-private partnerships and support creative solutions to connect every last home in our county. A fast, reliable internet connection is the modern-day highway system. Without it, Chipley risks becoming a beautiful, charming, but ultimately disconnected island.