Yancey County Government

The Yancey County Board of Commissioners has assisted Country Cablevision in writing and submitting a $12.5 million grant proposal on March 30 to bring high speed internet access to 97 percent of homes in Yancey and Mitchell Counties. Country Cablevision's "Yancey Mitchell Rural Broadband" grant request for second-round stimulus funds was submitted to the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) of the US Department of Agriculture with support from the Yancey County Commission and Burnsville Town Council as well as the Yancey County School System, AMY Regional Library System, Mayland Community College, Yancey County E911. Congressman Heath Shuler and Advantage West also provided letters of support endorsing the grant proposal. This three-year construction project, if funded, will bring jobs to Yancey County in the short term, and will be a major educational and economic asset to keep jobs, bring new jobs, and encourage small businesses for years to come.

The need for improved internet services, and correction of previous overstatements of coverage, was documented through a comprehensive survey in the spring of 2009 by the Yancey Citizen Volunteers for a Better Tomorrow. On the recommendation of the Yancey Citizens group, the County Commissioners established the Broadband Task Force in March 2009 to find the most effective ways to bring expanded internet services to Yancey County.

The Task Force is a broadly representative advisory group including members from 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.

Country Cablevision, Inc., founded by Yancey County native 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. Their "Yancey Mitchell Rural Broadband" 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 a 75% grant and 25% loan funds for the cost of extending "last mile" fiber to the home (FTTH), providing speeds up to 20 MHz and up to 100MHz in the future as needed. No matching funds are required from the county.

Task Force Chairman Jamie McMahan stated "We are very hopeful that Country Cablevision will be successful in this request for second round stimulus funds specifically directed to under-served rural areas. In 2009, we joined a regional consortium seeking first round funding through the National Telecommunications and Information Agency (NTIA) of the Commerce Department. We were unsuccessful, however, as those grants went primarily to larger, state-wide organizations." Commission Chairman Walter Savage stated "We are grateful to the skilled and dedicated citizen volunteers and staff on the Broadband Task Force who are working hard to bring up-to-date communication technology to our county."