-information courtesy of Franklin County Public Information Officer James Hicks
The Franklin County board of commissioners approved in May spending more than $430,000 to get a matching grant from Brightspeed to bring high-speed internet service to more than 1,400 homes throughout the county.
The money – $437,650 – will be coupled with $437,651 from Brightspeed as part of a $4 million Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology (GREAT) Grant Phase II, according to information from Franklin Public Information Officer James Hicks.
The county will use ARPA funds to fulfill its commitment.
“This is an important milestone to celebrate,” said Franklin County Manager Kim Denton. “Five and a half years ago, the County began very focused efforts to improve broadband access and that work continues to move forward.”
Increased broadband access expands opportunities for education, healthcare, economic development and personal enrichment and entrepreneurship.
The locations of this deployment are in areas around Franklinton, Youngsville, to the east and north of Louisburg and in several areas along Highway 401 near Royal and to the west of Bunn.
A previous $3.9 million GREAT Grant – Phase I – provided high-speed fiber internet to nearly 2,000 homes in underserved areas of Franklin County. That project deployed fiber internet to 1,978 homes in the unincorporated areas of Franklinton, Centerville, Wood, Justice, Bunn, Green Hill, Laurel Mill, Montgomery, Firetower, NC 561, NC 56 East, Alert and Perry.
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 residents can find out more about broadband efforts in the County and see a map by visiting https://www.franklincountync.gov/community/broadband.php