It appears Lackawanna County is going wireless.
Commissioners today approved a nearly $3 million contract with a company to engineer a wireless system they believe could attract new business.
Lackawanna County will start building its own state of the art wireless system, that businesses will be able to buy into. Commissioners also said the new system will help police and first responders, and in the long run, save the county money.
It's a county construction project that builds on what's already in the county: cell towers. Lackawanna County Commissioners took the first steps toward building the county's own wireless network.
The work will cost the county money, nearly $3 million on the front end.
However, Commissioner Corey O'Brien said the county will save money in the long-run and maybe make a few bucks too. Businesses will pay Lackawanna County to use the network.
"It'll be a tool in our economic development toolbox. So, when we're competing with other states we can maybe attract those businesses when other counties and other states can't," said O'Brien.
In the past, when Lackawanna County had to make improvements to its internet crews have had to dig up the streets. In this project, all of the work will be done through cell towers.
Lackawanna County is one of only a handful of counties in Pennsylvania looking to go completely wireless. It won't affect your internet, but Commissioners said the wireless service will improve connectivity for the people you rely on.
The wireless system will make police radios across the county more reliable, eliminate dead spots in remote areas, and give police and first responders technology that just wasn't available before.
On wednesday, Lackawanna County Commissioners approved plans to borrow the $2.8 million needed to pay for the project. A start date has not yet been set.