Rural County Broadband Buildout Full Speed Ahead 

SHARE THIS ARTICLE

Nash County has partnered with CloudWyze to bring broadband to the rural area, reported The Enterprise. The project began at the end of 2018, and has three phases; it’s currently in Phase 2 of deployment, slowed due to the COVID-19 shutdown, but is now back on track.

According to Nash County Manager Zee Lamb, the county has been pleased with its CloudWyze collaboration, even amid the pandemic. “The COVID-19 crisis, and resulting school closures, has made clear the urgency for internet access throughout the county to serve all residents and businesses, particularly to assure distance learning capabilities that are necessary for the educational needs of our school and college students,” Lamb said. 

Shaun Olsen, founder and CEO of CloudWyze, said, “We have been diligently maintaining our efforts toward finalizing the remaining steps of our network deployment in Nash County. While we continue to work to bring quality internet access to you, it’s important for you to know that state and local officials are working with us, expediting approval processes and removing barriers. The support we are receiving is tremendous and helps us to deliver service.”

The Enterprise reported that county officials are anxious to complete Phase 2 and are working towards funding for Phase 3. “After the completion of Phase 3, the Nash County commissioners want to do everything possible to extend coverage to 99 percent of the county,” Lamb said.

CloudWyze has been working closely with Nash County and the state to secure additional grants, including a Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology (GREAT) grant. Lamb noted that the N.C. Broadband Infrastructure office is expected to award funds by the end of June.

With the completion of Phase 3, 80 percent of the county will have access to high-speed internet, which equals 2,000 households. “We are also adding redundancies to ensure the network is resilient when subjected to disasters, power outages, and standard maintenance,” Olsen said. “What we are building is a carrier-grade network with immense capability to bring service to as many folks as possible and an ultimate goal of serving everyone who wants it.”

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.