From coffee shops to various restaurants and shops around town, it’s hard to find a place that doesn’t have access to a Wi-Fi connection.

Yet when you travel outside a municipality, these hot spots become harder to find.

And trying to find someone to connect your country home to a high-speed Internet line is even more of an uphill battle.

One resident might have a connection, but those that live just next door can be left off the map and unable to pay for the service.

It seems counterintuitive for a company to deny service to a potential customer, especially when the service lines are already installed in the area.

People all over Pearl River County—and in many other parts of the country—have been battling this issue for years.

While there are a limited number of solutions, like personal hot spots or satellite Internet services, they can be expensive, slow and unreliable.

New construction is starting to increase once again, and right now it’s uncertain whether these new homes will have access to a high-speed connection.

Internet is no longer a luxury; it is a necessity for many people, including students and working adults.

Throughout elementary, middle, high school and college I used the Internet on a daily basis to do homework, especially research for projects or papers.

Students today use it even more, especially if they utilize  dual enrollment classes through the local college.

Any business that wants to locate outside of a municipality also has to consider access to the Internet before opening their doors.

Many offices would shut down without the ability to communicate online.

The time has come for Internet services to become a public utility, regulated and monitored by the Public Service Commission.