Officials in Orange County, NC are accepting proposals from broadband providers as the first stage in a $500,000 three-phased project aimed at improving broadband service and expanding the county’s fiber network, according to a report from Chapelboro.com. Orange County’s chief information officer, Jim Northrup, recounted the history and outlined the future of broadband enhancements in Orange County at a Board of County Commissioners meeting in early February.
In 2014, Orange County Information Technologies was brought on to improve broadband service, and, the county successfully launched WiFi-to-Go at the local library and a free public WiFi network, Northrup reminded Board members.
In 2016, CenturyLink provided estimates to the county for expanding their fiber plant, which Northrup supports, according to Chapelboro.com. To this end, Northrup is discussing fiber plant and other broadband expansion with nearby Chapel Hill and Carboro, as well as other organizations with a vested interest in the project, such as Piedmont Electric and Orange Water and Sewer Authority. “To be talking with them and meeting with them on a regular basis has really proved helpful to understand our strategy and how our strategy will keystone in with theirs also,” Northrup said.
Phase two of the project will connect county facilities from Cedar Grove to Carboro, and phase three will eventually connect the rest of the county. “It’ll just be one big network that we’ll be able to deliver service on through fiber,” Northrup told Chapelboro.com.
The deadline for proposals is February 27, and Northrup is confident that the cost of the project will be shared with providers. “They’re looking to partner with us and purchase their own infrastructure and investing themselves in it also. So, it’s not just our money, they’d be investing some of their money too is the idea,” Northrup said.
February 15, 2018
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