Technology Investments a ‘Game-Changer’ – University of Idaho

When broadband internet recently arrived at the University of Idahos Sandpoint Organic Agriculture Center, Kyle Nagy said the technology became an instant game-changer on expanding distance education opportunities.

Before, when it was windy or there would be thick cloud cover, wed lose the internet sporadically throughout the day, said Nagy, the centers superintendent and orchard operations manager said.

When the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences center near the base of Schweitzer Mountain hosted the Heritage Orchard Conference before the pandemic, perhaps 100 people attended the in-person event.

Now, thanks to broadband installed last winter, more than 1,200 researchers, gardeners and orchardists from nearly all 50 states and 18 countries were enrolled in the webinars last spring.

We reached out to a much larger crowd, Nagy said. No doubt, the broadband and having the bandwidth to reach that many people has been a game-changer.

An Idaho Department of Commerce Rural Broadband grant of $410,000 funded the service, which provides public-accessible wireless internet to the center as well as Extension centers in Boundary, Bonner and Kootenai counties.

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Technology Investments a 'Game-Changer' - University of Idaho