When I first took office as the Orange County District 5 Commissioner, I was acutely aware of the challenges faced by residents in East Orange County, particularly the lack of access to reliable high-speed internet. Living in a world where digital connectivity is no longer a luxury but a necessity, I understood the deep impact this had on our community. My family and I experienced it firsthand, struggling to work, learn, and connect in an area where high-speed internet was virtually nonexistent.
Our journey to bring broadband to Bithlo, Christmas and parts of South Apopka has been long and challenging, but it is one that I am proud to have led. When we first moved to our area, we quickly realized that the internet options available to us were limited, slow, and unreliable. Satellite connections faltered under cloud cover, and telephone lines offered speeds that were reminiscent of the early days of dial-up internet.
Streaming a simple movie on Netflix was an exercise in frustration, and we often found ourselves shouting across the house, “Who’s using the internet?” because our connection could only handle one or two users at a time. This struggle was not just a minor inconvenience. It impacted every aspect of our lives.
My son’s schoolwork suffered as he tried to complete assignments on a laptop provided by the school, only to be met with constant buffering and interruptions. My husband and I had to alternate our work schedules to accommodate the limited bandwidth. In.