County of Franklin issued the following announcement on Aug. 29.
High-speed fiber internet will soon be available to almost 2,000 homes in unserved areas throughout Franklin County.
Through a $3.9 million Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology (GREAT) Grant, Lumen – the parent company of CenturyLink and Quantum Fiber -- will be providing high-speed fiber internet to 1,978 homes in Franklin County. The project – which will make broadband fiber internet available in areas previously unserved by that service – is making steady progress toward that goal. The company has completed 75% of the project to date.
The project will bring broadband to the unincorporated areas of Franklinton, Centerville, Wood, Justice, Bunn, Green Hill, Laurel Mill, Montgomery, Firetower, NC 561, NC 56 East, Alert, and Perry. The project is expected to finish in July 2023.
The company has already completed access to 584 homes and is accepting new customers in the Montgomery, NC 581, Green Hill and Laurel Mill areas.
Recently, officials from Lumen met with Franklin County Board of Commissioners Chairman Michael Schriver and Commissioner Harry Foy along with Assistant County Manager Will Doerfer at one of the completed sites of the project along Ronald Tharrington Road.
“This broadband GREAT Grant program is a wonderful example of public-private partnerships that work for people, communities, and their businesses,” said Steve Brewer, Lumen’s director of state regulatory and legislative affairs. “Families and businesses have shifted to living more of life online. We know broadband brings many benefits to communities—this expansion will improve access to the online applications being used every day.”
GREAT grants, established by N.C. legislature and awarded by N.C. Broadband Infrastructure Office, are provided to private broadband service providers to “facilitate the deployment of broadband service to unserved areas of North Carolina,” according to the Broadband Office’s website. For more information, please visit https://www.ncbroadband.gov/grants/great-grant.
Franklin County’s Board of Commissioners approved a letter of support and local match for CenturyLink to receive this GREAT Grant of $3,899,638 to install high-speed fiber internet to nearly two thousand homes throughout the county. Commissioners also supported the application with a promised local match of $116,990. In February 2021, CenturyLink signed a five-year service agreement with NC Broadband Infrastructure Office. At the July 2021 meeting, commissioners approved a contract for CenturyLink to provide fiber-to-the-home service for 1,978 homes in Franklin County in exchange for the county’s match.
County leadership is awaiting a decision on additional Phase II GREAT Grant funding and will be pursuing additional grant programs to further expand broadband access in Franklin County.
“Franklin County is excited about this opportunity for residents to access life-changing service,” said County Manager Kim Denton. “Access to high-speed internet expands opportunities for education, healthcare, and personal enrichment.”
Franklin County residents can find out about service and rate information in their area by visiting www.Q.com or www.centurylink.com. Residents can also find service availability information by clicking the “Check Availability” button and supplying their addresses.
Stay updated with information from Franklin County by visiting our website – www.franklincountync.gov – and signup for email updates by clicking the “Get Email Updates” button on the homepage.
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