“The people in Blairsville, Suches and other communities will soon no longer be underserved and unserved,” said Michael Foor, Kinetic Georgia operations President, during the recent launch event.
Public-Private Partnership
Like other fiber projects it has launched in Georgia and other regions, this expansion project results from a public–private partnership between the county and Kinetic.
Union County will use about $11.2 million in state grant money from the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds program, part of the federal American Rescue Plan. The county has also committed an additional $500,000 in matching funds.
For its part, Kinetic will invest $8.9 million and cover any cost overruns. The broadband provider covered the entire project cost when making the earlier 8,400 locations gig-ready.
“This groundbreaking signifies the start of new possibilities for Union County,” said Georgia Broadband Program Executive Director Jessica Simmons. “Technology is ever evolving, and this project will bring broadband that can handle present and future demands to this community. I’m glad the county collaborated with Kinetic to expand this critical service to more than 7,300 unserved homes and businesses.”
Union County is one of a growing group of communities where Kinetic has established a public-private partnership to fund new fiber broadband deployments. The provider has set similar agreements with communities in Georgia and Kentucky, including Colquitt County, GA; Bullitt County, KY; Chattooga County, GA; and Lumpkin County, GA.
