Get Wired Alabama initiative partners with Omnipoint Technology Partners to bring broadband to rural Alabama
The Southern Alabama Broadband Cooperative District says it has created a public-private partnership with Omnipoint Technology Partners on an initiative to bring advanced broadband capabilities to 17 counties in Alabama. The $200 million Get Wired Alabama initiative will seek to supply affordable broadband to these rural areas, many of which are home to largely black and poor communities, via a mixed media approach.
Omnipoint will build and operate the open broadband infrastructure, which will combine fiber and wireless to enable service delivery to homes, businesses, and institutions as well as provide a foundation for smart-city technology. Omnipoint, which is minority owned, will operate the network under a 30-year agreement; 50% of any profits accrued will be put back into the Southern Alabama Broadband Cooperative District for distribution to counties for subsidizing internet payments and economic development.
Several partners have signed on to participate in the initiative. They include Lat long, which will provide Infrastructure for fiber construction; Crown Castle, which will provide tower deployments; Siklu will provide mm-Wave 5G technology; Cambium Networks will bring CBRS technology; Smart Media Cities will support smart-city projects; and an AT&T Partnership Exchange will supply IoT and edge technology.
“Much like a food desert, a broadband desert can have a compounding negative impact on the health of the community,” commented Commissioner Charlie King, Jr., of the Lowndes County Board of Revenue. “A place without proper internet is a place devoid of optimally functioning businesses, schools, churches, libraries, community organizations, and homes, which leaves students and residents at a severe disadvantage compared to places with adequate Wi-Fi.”
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About the Author
Stephen Hardy
Editorial Director and Associate Publisher, Lightwave
Stephen Hardy is editorial director and associate publisher of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report, part of the Lighting & Technology Group at Endeavor Business Media. Stephen is responsible for establishing and executing editorial strategy across the both brands’ websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products. He has covered the fiber-optics space for more than 20 years, and communications and technology for more than 35 years. During his tenure, Lightwave has received awards from Folio: and the American Society of Business Press Editors (ASBPE) for editorial excellence. Prior to joining Lightwave in 1997, Stephen worked for Telecommunications magazine and the Journal of Electronic Defense.
Stephen has moderated panels at numerous events, including the Optica Executive Forum, ECOC, and SCTE Cable-Tec Expo. He also is program director for the Lightwave Innovation Reviews and the Diamond Technology Reviews.
He has written numerous articles in all aspects of optical communications and fiber-optic networks, including fiber to the home (FTTH), PON, optical components, DWDM, fiber cables, packet optical transport, optical transceivers, lasers, fiber optic testing, and more.
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