COME BE THE CHANGE!
832 North Carolina Highway 58, Castalia, North Carolina 27816
Broadband for Northeast franklin county
In February of 2018, the Northeast Franklin Revitalization group met with NC Department of Commerce representatives Lee Padrick and Bruce Naegelen, Community Economic Development planners with NC Main Street and Rural Planning Center to develop a Five Year Strategic Plan for the economic development of Northeast Franklin County.
There were three goals set:
- Improve Broadband (Internet access) capacity
- Bring people to Northeast Franklin County to enjoy agriculture and natural resources
- Develop a marketing plan for recruiting businesses and potential residents
Regarding broadband, our group has worked tirelessly with the Franklin County Broadband Action Committee and the Franklin County Commissioners to develop a plan for bringing high speed Internet to the unserved and underserved parts of Franklin County. We helped promote surveys to determine these areas, attended County Commissioner meetings, made appeals to Legislators, held monthly community meetings to update the community on the progress, and invited speakers to address the need for broadband in Northeast Franklin County.
OUR EFFORTS PAID OFF!! In July 2019, the Franklin County Commissioners signed a contract with Open Broadband to begin the process of identifying the areas of Franklin that have little or no Internet access. This will be a gradual process over the course of the next four years. In order to prioritize the areas most in need, Open Broadband has created a page for neighborhoods to join the waitlist for broadband service.
To stay informed of their progress and the service areas in each sector, please sign up for the no-obligation waitlist. It is IMPORTANT to tell your neighbors to sign up too! The more people that sign up in the same neighborhood the higher it becomes on their priority list.
Join our group in helping "BE THE CHANGE" in Northeast Franklin County!
CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE WAITLIST
Vertical assets
Do you have vertical assets on your property or in your area?
If so, Open Broadband may want to use those assets to bring high speed Internet to you!
A Vertical Asset is any structure, building, tower, or geographical feature that could offer a suitable location for installation of wireless transmission equipment. A grain silo or water tower could qualify, as could tall buildings, depending on their geographical setting and the coverage needed. Adding transmission equipment to an existing structure is cost effective, and in some cases, it can eliminate the need to erect a new tower, greatly streamlining the process of permitting and installation. Existing cell towers are not feasible as these must be rented, thus increasing the cost passed along to the customers.
Open Broadband doesn't rent these structures from you, they simply offer you reduced or free broadband for allowing them to use them. If you have a vertical asset you'd like Open Broadband to consider, click below, fill out the "Contact Us" form, and submit. Your vertical asset could mean that you get high speed Internet quicker than others!!
