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Emery County ratifies T‑Mobile hotspot contract, accepts small LSTA grant for interlibrary loans
Summary
The commission ratified a one‑year contract for 20 T‑Mobile hotspots and accepted a $1,628 LSTA reimbursement grant to cover interlibrary loan postage and shipping; staff said E‑Rate funding could reimburse about 70% of hotspot costs if approved.
Emery County commissioners on Aug. 19 ratified a one‑year contract with T‑Mobile to provide 20 mobile Wi‑Fi hotspots for the Emery County Library System and accepted a separate LSTA borrower‑support grant to reimburse interlibrary‑loan postage.
Library staff told the commission the T‑Mobile agreement sets a monthly cost of $220.20 for the 20 hotspots, a one‑year commitment of $2,642. Staff said the county previously paid about $277.62 per month for 10 hotspots on a month‑to‑month plan and that the new contract increases capacity while lowering per‑unit cost. They also said that if the Federal Communications Commission’s E‑Rate funding comes through, approximately 70% of hotspot costs would be reimbursable, but E‑Rate rules require hotspots be in active circulation (not idle for more than 30 days) to retain reimbursement eligibility.
A separate grant from the Utah State Library Division — an LSTA borrower‑support award — will reimburse up to $1,628 for postage and shipping costs associated with interlibrary loans during fiscal year 2026 (July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026). Library staff said last year’s interlibrary loan postage totaled roughly $1,300 and the award provides a modest increase to cover demand.
Commissioners moved and approved ratification of the T‑Mobile contract and acceptance of the LSTA grant by voice vote. Library staff said hotspots will be distributed to branches according to demand and rotated to ensure continual use required under E‑Rate rules.
