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-Press Release, Open Broadband, LLC
Open Broadband, LLC (www.openbb.net) is pleased to announce our upcoming expansion of fixed-wireless broadband internet service into Vance County, NC. The deployment plan will address areas within the county which lack sufficient broadband service to meet the needs of government, residences and commercial businesses.
In August 2018, the Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments (Kerr-Tar COG) led a joint broadband enhancement Request for Proposal (RFP) for Vance, Granville and Vance Counties. North Carolina based Open Broadband, LLC was selected and has entered a seven-year contract with Vance County to provide internet speeds of at least 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload to unserved areas.
In addition to the Vance County contract, Open Broadband was also awarded a North Carolina GREAT grant to provide broadband to unserved areas of Vance County. The GREAT grant funds will go toward specific underserved areas in the Northwest and Southwest corners of Vance County, while the county’s funds will pay for the remaining areas.
“This is a big deal for the county,” said Vance County Manager Jordan McMillen. “The FCC defines broadband as a minimum 25 Mbps speed. However, many of our citizens are limited to DSL, which is not a ‘true’ high-speed service. Our primary goal is to serve the unserved and the underserved areas of the county, but once you have fixed-wireless broadband, many more residents can be served. At a starting price of $39.99/month the service is affordable for most residents.”
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 Vance County will take place in phases over the next four years. The first customer service activation is planned for the end of 2019.
“We are excited to bring our fixed-wireless broadband service into Vance County,” said Open Broadband CEO Alan Fitzpatrick. “The need for higher internet speeds is universal as the internet has become a core component of our daily lives. Applying for jobs, access to medical records, access to student coursework, and online banking all require good internet infrastructure. Affordable internet options also help address the Digital Divide. We believe everyone should have access to home broadband internet service and are pleased to be awarded the contract with Vance County to bring service to those in need.”
Open Broadband is now accepting waitlist signups on the Vance County tab of the website: https://openbb.net/vanceco/ 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.