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-Press Release, Franklin County Government
Franklin County citizens will have an opportunity this fall to learn more about Open Broadband’s plans to expand broadband internet service in Franklin County.
On October 22, a Community Information Meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. in the Multi-Purpose Room at Franklin County’s Vance-Granville Community College Campus, 8100 Hwy 56 West in Louisburg. Citizens will hear about the plans Open Broadband has to address areas within the county which lack sufficient broadband service to meet the needs of residences, businesses and government. Attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions as they learn about how they can sign up, the initial areas where service will be introduced and how other areas will be selected for service deployment.
Open Broadband’s expansion into Franklin County is the result of an agreement County Commissioners approved June 17, 2019. The seven-year agreement provides funds of up to $188,000 per year for a four-year time period to Open Broadband to assist in bringing internet service to unserved and underserved areas of Franklin County.
The agreement is the result of the Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Government’s effort with Franklin, Granville and Vance counties that began in late 2017. The three counties were guided by consultant Joe Freddoso of Mighty River LLC. Broadband Action Teams in each county conducted citizen surveys, developed an RFP and ultimately selected Open Broadband LLC to bring their service to the region.
Information about the Franklin County Broadband Initiative is available at www.franklincountync.us along with links to the Open Broadband website and Frequently Asked Questions. Please attend the Community Information Meeting on October 22 to learn more about how service can be expanded into your area.
Open Broadband provides hybrid fiber and fixed-wireless internet service, up to gigabit speed, to many communities across North Carolina. Service is provided to residents, small and medium sized businesses, technology incubators, universities, and government locations including police, fire, town hall, and airport facilities. Open Broadband also provides free public Wi-Fi zones in downtown areas, parks, and campuses.
Network deployment in Franklin County will take place in phases over the next four years. The first customer service activation is planned for the end of 2019.
Open Broadband is now accepting waitlist signups on the Franklin County tab of the website: https://openbb.net/franklinco/. Those on the waitlist will receive regular updates on the progress of the network build and will be contacted once service is made available in their area.
Open Broadband is North Carolina owned and operated. Visit the company at https://openbb.net or follow them on LinkedIn and Twitter @OpenBBNet. For questions, email info@openbb.net or call 919-205-5400.
