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Plymouth Township chairman tells supervisors BugTussle fiber lines left above ground, requests county follow-up
Summary
Don Baumkamp, chairman of Plymouth Township, told the Rock County Board that a local Internet provider installed fiber but has not buried lines for some residents, leaving overhead fiber that was later cut; county staff were asked to investigate.
Don Baumkamp, chairman of Plymouth Township, told the Rock County Board of Supervisors that residents along Orfordville Hanover Road and Northville Hennel Road remain without buried fiber connections from a local provider, and that newly installed lines remain above ground following work in April.
Baumkamp said he and neighbors had planned to take three hookups and had secured an easement through a neighbor's property to shorten the run, but the company later told them the cost was too high and declined to install the service. He said his household currently uses BugTussle over-the-air service at 50 Mbps for $72 per month; he said fiber service to a home would provide 1 gigabit for roughly $8 more per month.
Baumkamp told the board that one neighbor had fiber installed in April but the contractor did not bury the line. Two hours after he warned the neighbor that an exposed line could be damaged, the neighbor's father mowing the lawn hit and severed the fiber. Baumkamp said the company later told the neighbor it lacked a contractor to bury lines, which he described as a source of ongoing frustration for residents who paid and expected buried service.
Chairman and board members asked the county administrator to look into the matter and report back; Supervisor Bostwick offered to distribute informational cards about local events and to assist with outreach. Baumkamp identified himself as Plymouth Township chair during his remarks.
