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DeSoto Parish committee approves Unity Fiber contract to address recurring internet outages
Summary
County staff told jurors of repeated outages and asked to contract Unity Fiber as a replacement ISP for increased business continuity; the jury approved a contract with Unity Fiber, which already serves other parish facilities.
The DeSoto Parish Police Jury authorized a contract with Unity Fiber to provide internet service for parish operations after staff reported multiple recent outages that disrupted business continuity.
A parish staff member told jurors that the current internet service has been unreliable, noting, "we've been having a lot of Internet outages" and that the parish has experienced multiple interruptions over the prior months. The new contract was described as roughly the same price as existing service but expected to be more reliable; staff also noted Unity Fiber already serves the road department, animal shelter and ballpark.
Why it matters: Reliable internet connectivity affects county operations, public services and communications. Jurors said securing a second ISP or changing the primary provider was necessary to reduce repeated downtime affecting multiple parish facilities.
The vote: Jurors moved and seconded a motion to authorize the president to sign a contract with Unity Fiber; the motion passed on a voice vote.
Next steps: Parish administration will finalize contracting details and transition services to Unity Fiber at county facilities identified in the packet.
