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High-speed Internet access has been one of the city's priorities as it renegotiates a new cable contract. That new contract has stalled over when Mediacom could offer high-speed Internet access. Getting the cable company to pledge, in writing, to provide this service to the community may be less vital now that Lakedale is providing it.

Lakedale currently offers local dial-up Internet access in all six communities it serves, including Paynesville. Lakedale, which has operated the local phone service in Paynesville for 20 years, has offered dial-up access for six years in Paynesville.

In addition to dial-up connections, Lakedale has also offered ISDN, another type of high-speed Internet access, South noted.

The new high-speed Internet service will use DSL technology, which South thinks might be more popular because it's more widely known.

"Basically what we're providing is a high-speed broadband conduit through the vehicle of DSL," he said.

The new high-speed access will use existing copper wiring; the company always puts in extra lines at every location, normally at least six lines. By putting new equipment in the Lakedale office in Paynesville (at the corner of Highway 23 and Washburne Avenue) and mating equipment in Annandale, the company will be able to offer high-speed Internet access using DSL.

"We're excited to be able to offer this," he explained. "We see it as a part of our telecommunications package."

The new service will have a range from the company's office in Paynesville, but should be available to most of the city, including every downtown business, according to South. "I don't know of any businesses in Paynesville that would not be covered," he said.

Lakedale has offered high-speed Internet access using this technology for the past 10 months as a field trial in Annandale, where the company's headquarters is located. The field trial tested how much the service cost and how it met consumer demand, said South.

Now the company plans to offer the service in all six communities it serves: Annandale, Maple Lake, South Haven, Montrose, Waverly, and Paynesville.

High-speed Internet access using this new service will be available at different capacity levels: 128K, 256K, 384K, 512K, 640K, 768K, and 1,024K. Current dial-up access is only 56K.

Rates for unlimited time on the new service will be $68 per month for 128K, $82 per month for 256K, and $115 for 512K.