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Burke County seeks $20 million in BEAD funds and builds fiber loop to extend broadband
Summary
County staff said a joint ARP-funded fiber loop is about 40% complete and that the county is applying for roughly $20 million in federal BEAD funds to bring broadband to unserved and underserved areas, covering about 460 miles of new fiber.
County staff reported progress on a countywide broadband project and said they will submit a federal BEAD grant application by the end of January seeking roughly $20 million in state-allocated BEAD funding.
The countys current build includes a joint project with the school board funded with American Rescue Plan (ARP) money to create a fiber backbone loop around the county; staff said that project is roughly 40% complete. The loop will connect fire stations and serve as the backbone for later last-mile builds.
Staff said the BEAD application would aim to cover unserved and underserved customers identified on the states broadband map and that the county plans to use some SPLOST funds as match if needed. The staff presentation described a proposed network of about 460 miles of new fiber under the current application plan.
County staff urged residents to contact state legislators to support the countys BEAD application. No final award decision has been made; staff said application materials were being finalized with a consultant.
Ending
County staff said the BEAD application deadline is imminent and that SPLOST and other local funds will likely be used to extend service beyond areas the BEAD award covers.
