A Highway 50 Reminder of How the West was Won

By Lindsey Niedzielski, Program Manager, Connect Nevada

Highway 50 shouldn’t be called the “loneliest road in America” as it’s so often referred to. In fact, once the route of the Pony Express, this road is vibrant with travelers, construction projects, and frontier communities. With a rich history in receiving information, it is no wonder residents are craving new technology and faster download speeds.

Nevada's Highway 50

In Eureka, the Opera House hosts events from concerts to quilt shows drawing residents from all across Eureka and White Pine - mostly by word of mouth. In White Pine County, only 68.65% of residents have access to 3 Mbps download Internet speed as compared to 23.57% in Eureka. In some of the more outlying areas like Baker, they have trouble making a cell phone call. What could they do with a better connection?

These communities, once the anchors of the state of Nevada, rich in copper, gold, and silver, are seeing an economic boom in mining. Now, it is only a matter of infrastructure holding the areas back from again becoming the heartbeat of Nevada. Mt. Wheeler Power is one regional broadband provider that is working with Connect Nevada to bring better broadband to the area. Connect Nevada also recently presented to the White Pine County Commissioners to begin planning for expansion in the region.