Project KooteNet, an ISP/Community Network, grew out of the idea that citizens banded together can make big things happen (in their case, to acquire digital switching technology for their phone system). In early 1994, a group of visionaries from both the public and private sector formed the grassroots Lincoln County Technology Group (LCTG) to bring Internet technology to Lincoln County and provide a new foundation for a viable economy. The Lincoln County Commissioners provided seed money for the project, and through a lot of volunteer effort and determination, the service went online in October 1994. KooteNet--named for the Kootenai Indians who first inhabited the area--is now a successful ISP/Community Network and its impact on Lincoln County was valued at 5.2 million dollars in 1998.

About the Community

Lincoln County is a rural, technologically impoverished area spanning the communities of Eureka, Fortine, Libby, Rexford, Trego, and Troy. Eureka, Libby and Troy are the primary communities served by KooteNet. Lincoln County is 3.5 times larger than Rhode Island, but its population is under 20,000. Because of the county's remoteness and low population, communications infrastructure costs many times the price in most other areas.

Accessibility

Most people access KooteNet via home computers, but the local libraries have public access computers, and the local schools have computers which are available during certain times of the day and for rent (either singly or the entire lab.) The library access stations provide a guest account for those who cannot afford their own accounts on KooteNet. Private (personal and commercial) accounts are priced at cost (far below the median monthly charge for other ISPs) and provide email and web space. County government offices are also offered free e-mail accounts for official business because of the county's support of the project. In addition most local organizations get 'free' space through their members, who are allowed to create pages in their own personal web space. Larger organizations, like local schools, support KooteNet through special sponsoring accounts and receive cheaper per-account rates.

KooteNet currently employs the equivalent of three full-time staff members, and there are three people available for telephone support during business hours. In KooteNet's early days, classes were held to get people familiar with the equipment, but demand for these classes is actually too low now to make them worthwhile, because individual mentoring has taken its place. 20% of the county's population is currently online with KooteNet.

Funding and Collaboration

KooteNet has no formal partners. The ISP board is under the wing of the Library Board of the County, and is made up of two from the county, with the rest from the private sector. The ISP portion of the business is run as a self-supporting public/private partnership, and upgrades are usually funded by saving up for them. The county and county-wide Economic Development Council have contributed matching funds for needed equipment upgrades. The Community Network portion is run primarily as a resource through which people volunteer to add/revise content for others. In their own words, "KooteNet is a Community Network/Internet Service Provider whose focus has been to build the infrastructure necessary for economic development in this rural part of Montana." The community is small enough that natural partnerships with schools, libraries and county government have formed as ways of acquiring resources without donation schemes (other than personal time and facilities.) By early 1996, over 10,000 volunteer hours were logged, most of which came from the private sector.

KooteNet does not actively provide online forums and other ways for community members (users of the service) to discuss how KooteNet is run. KooteNet users are informed of ISP meetings and agendas, but have shown a general lack of interest in influencing policy beyond the initial work by LCTG (which held open meetings and had good attendance in the formative stages.) KooteNet has been a healing influence in the county, and has started to encourage inter-community involvement in projects. The Smithsonian Art Train came to Troy this past summer, and people from Libby volunteered to help with organization. This kind of cooperation was previously unheard of. (Eureka is 80 miles from Troy, which makes cooperation difficult.) KooteNet has proved a source of pride for the three communities and has served to break down barriers among them.

Content

KooteNet's website content is heavily geared towards its communities, and even has distinct sub-sections for Eureka, Libby and Troy. The website has design quirks that make usability an issue, but it is fair to say it adequately meets the needs of Lincoln county residents. Most information needed for day-to-day activities can be found online including local telephone numbers and email addresses. For example, if you have a question for your child's teacher at school, you can find the teacher's telephone number and email address online quickly and efficiently. The web pages are all created and maintained by locals and many of them by volunteers who have personal stakes in what they are profiling. Even local school pages are created by students (and alumni) in most cases. Local businesses can advertise free in the KooteNet yellow pages, and can buy commercial accounts to enter the online marketplace. The KooteNet newsletter, among other things, presents letters from people touched by the service, and creates profiles of local businesspeople who have found success through online commerce. Another main focus of the website is to showcase the geographical area in pictures and words, in order to bring in tourists and businesses.

Special Features

In addition to the beautiful Virtual Tour and yellow pages, which are both intended to improve the economic infrastructure, KooteNet also is developing an extensive government site. Most local government offices can now be reached by e-mail, and information about all of the pertinent offices, including who staffs them and how to get in touch, are continuing to be developed and improved. The County has played a large role in assisting the volunteers in the making of KooteNet, and is continuing its efforts to become more accessible through the medium that is now running.



There is a great deal of information on the KooteNet project online. For more information on the community and geographical area, see their Area Maps and Information page. For a history of the project, start with KooteNet's Story-In Pictures, from which you can get to lots of other versions of the history.

A great deal of thanks go to Madelin Pajas, retiring Website coordinator/steward, for her insights. Her husband Anthony was one of the original evangelists of the LCTG (the sysadmin). Without committed people who are willing to personally sacrifice, projects like KooteNet are doomed to failure. Both are Michigan alumni.