The Greene County Economic Development Group’s mission to install fiber internet throughout the county appears to have become a reality, according to a March 19 announcement.
The group, along with Frontier Communications, announced this morning that it has received $24.7 million from the Connect Illinois grant program to install a fiber internet network across much of the county. Under the grant program, the fiber installation project is expected to be completed within two years.
Frontier also announced that fiber internet will be installed throughout the city of Carrollton by the end of this year. The total investment from both projects is more than $45 million.
Pat Pinkston with the Greene County Economic Development Group said the announcement is the culmination of three years of work. To provide fiber broadband to all residents and locations within the county. We are fortunate that there is now a historic program funded by the federal government through the Illinois Broadband Authority that provides funding to bring fiber internet to homes. We are pleased to announce that we will be bringing fiber broadband to over 95% of homes and businesses in Greene County, as well as the City of Carrollton. It has been a long and demanding journey, but we are truly excited about this opportunity and believe it will be a historic moment for the people of Greene County. ”
The City of Roodhouse and the City of Whitehall will only receive connections to this project if they are in close proximity to the connecting line. Portions of Rockbridge, which are close to Macoupin County’s broadband service, will also not be part of the project. Pinkston said collaboration is underway with all of these communities to connect the county to each other.
Pinkston said the group was lucky in that the project was funded solely by grants and private donations. The bulk of that (all but $100,000) came from Frontier Communications, which funds a significant portion of it, and grant funds through the American Rescue Plan Act that went to the state and the Connect Illinois program; One of $100,000 in private funds comes from. Some of the donations come from townships and counties.Much of that comes from private donations like the Tracy Foundation and others who have stepped up to help cover our share. [of the grant] To demonstrate our commitment to the project. This has no effect on local taxes. ”
If you’re looking to have fiber delivered to your home in Greene County, visit frontier.com to find out how much the service costs. According to Pinkston, affordability and competitive rates are estimated to save county residents a total of $1 million annually in internet costs. For more information, visit gcedg.com or email greenecountybroadbandproject@gmail.com.
