MONTGOMERY– High-speed internet has become a necessity for many businesses, and an area of Winston County will soon see some upgrades thanks in part to an $80,000 grant announced by Gov. Robert Bentley.
The grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission will allow the Winston County Commission to provide a two-mile fiber cable extension on Alabama Highway 33 in Double Springs. The extension will give current businesses access to higher internet speeds and make the area more attractive for new businesses.
“Businesses increasingly rely on new technologies and broadband internet to remain competitive and create or retain jobs,” Bentley said. “Access to broadband is a top priority in my Great State 2019 Plan, and I am pleased to see Winston County take on this project to help their economy.”
The area currently relies on DSL connections with slower upload and download speeds. The U.S. Forest Service is routing a high-speed fiber connection to its ranger station for nearby Bankhead National Forest on the highway, and the grant will help extend that fiber into Double Springs.
The ARC is an economic development agency of the federal government and 13 state governments focusing on 420 counties, including 37 in Alabama, across the Appalachian Region. The agency’s mission is to innovate, partner, and invest to build community capacity and strengthen economic growth in Appalachia to help the Region achieve socioeconomic parity with the nation.
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs manages the ARC program in Alabama and is administering the grant. ADECA administers an array of programs supporting law enforcement and traffic safety, economic development, energy conservation, water resource management and recreation development.
“Broadband access is a challenge many rural communities face,” ADECA Director Jim Byard Jr. said. “I am pleased that our partnership with the Appalachian Regional Commission will provide broadband access to a new area of Winston County.”
Bentley informed County Commission Chairman Roger Hayes that the grant had been approved.
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Contact: Josh Carples; Mike Presley