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Who is the Broadband Task Force?
The Task Force is a broadly representative advisory group including members from Yancey County government, education, health, public safety, economic development, agriculture, real estate, arts and crafts, local business, internet technology professionals, and citizens at large. Headed by County Planner Jamie McMahan, the Task Force has met with local internet service providers, operators of regional networks, the State e-NC Authority, neighboring county governments and other agencies.
The Task Force moved forward from the work of the ad hoc citizens group "Yancey Citizen Volunteers for a Better Tomorrow," which conducted a comprehensive survey in the spring of 2009 to document the extent of broadband coverage in Yancey County. Their study documented a lack of broadband service to many areas of the County, correcting previous overstatements of service coverage. On the recommendation of the Citizen Volunteer group, the Commissioners established the Broadband Task Force to seek ways of expanding access to broadband internet services.
In the fall of 2009, Yancey County joined a regional group of five counties coordinated by the Education and Research Consortium of the Western Carolinas (ERC) in an unsuccessful first-round grant request for economic recovery stimulus funds offered through the National Telecommunications and Information Agency (NTIA) of the Commerce Department. The new grant proposal by Country Cablevision is more specific in its rural focus and seems to be more likely to receive approval.
How Will Coverage Be Expanded?
Country Cablevision, Inc., headed by Ray Vance Miller, is a long-established local cable TV and cable internet service provider headquartered in Yancey County, which already provides services to many areas of Yancey and Mitchell Counties. This $12.5 million project proposal includes improved services for Emergency Services, volunteer fire departments, schools and Mayland Community College, as well as rural neighborhoods. If the project is funded, Country Cablevision will receive 75% grant and 25% loan funds for the cost of extending "last mile" fiber to the home (FTTH), the highest speed internet access available, to 97% of homes. No matching funds are required from the county, as this program is targeted to underserved rural areas. Both the Town of Burnsville and Yancey County have provided letters of support for the proposal.
Yancey County is fortunate to have many skilled and hardworking volunteers, together with capable local service providers, who remain committed to making up-to-date communication technology available to residents throughout Yancey County. |