Sho-Me Technologies, LLC was awarded a $26.6 Million BTOP grant and in June 2011, and began construction on the first new fiber segment of the Sho-Me MO middle-mile project. Sho-Me Technologies’ plan was to build upon its 880 miles of existing fiber; the project will deploy a total of 500 miles of new fiber to complete a 1380-mile fiber network across 30 counties in south and central Missouri. As a middle-mile project, Sho-Me MO is a part of a five-year initiative, MoBroadbandNow, launched by Missouri Governor Jay Nixon in 2009. The initiative is seeking to expand broadband accessibility to 95 percent of the total state population, a significant increase from the current projected accessibility of 80 percent.

NEO’s Scope of Work: NEO provided a financial appraisal for Sho-Me Technologies’ existing fiber optic network which was used as an in-kind contribution for their BTOP grant. NEO conducted financial projections, IRU analysis and pricing recommendations and a financial appraisal for this BTOP grant recipient. NEO also participated in broadband planning efforts and strategy of execution of their network build.

The Result. Sho-Me Technologies completed their grant compliance requirements for in-kind contributions and successfully constructed their network build. Sho-Me provides advanced telecommunications capability with access to network architecture and a business model which utilizes a fixed access network as an infrastructure for enabling other service providers, fixed or wireless, to provide advanced services to the end user.  The intended purpose of the network is not to limit the use, but instead to share the access between unlimited numbers of users.  The network is commercially available to both public and private entities.  Sho-Me Technologies, LLC merely provides the infrastructure, network and facilities to allow those connections to be made.  Sho-Me Technologies, LLC is not a service provider, but is a carrier of transport infrastructure which operates in accordance with all applicable statutes, rules and regulations.