No service providers in the El Jebel area offer high-speed connectivity at reasonable rates. T-1 and frame relay are available, but are quite expensive. A local clinic finds it very difficult to connect by remote to their main location in Glenwood. Their frame relay connection is extremely slow, which prolongs patient visits. The El Jebel area is more than three miles from the nearest US West central office in Basalt, and that distance eliminates DSL service for El Jebel.
Residents also comment on the poor quality of dial-up connection speeds and phone service.
One solution may be to tap into the Glenwood ANAP through Carbondale's local access point. Fiber then could be brought to an El Jebel local access point and then onto a Basalt local access point. Fiber optic connectivity may be feasible in Basalt's commercial core if the demand warrants. The Frying Pan River Valley will be best served through a wireless system connected to the Basalt local access point. This will require new infrastructure and may be more cost-effective.