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NAACP leader tells Greene County commissioners residents lack broadband; asks who decides deployment
Summary
Ben Lanier, president of the local NAACP chapter, told commissioners that his road and others in Greene County lack broadband and questioned how providers and state funding decisions are made; county manager agreed to seek information.
Ben Lanier, president of the local NAACP chapter, told the Greene County Board of Commissioners on Monday that residents along his road have not received broadband service despite prior announcements that the countywide project would be funded.
Lanier said he learned the county had a $24 million contract planned to expand service and that he initially believed the project would cover the whole county over three years. When service did not arrive on his road, he said he purchased Starlink and InfinityLink service but experienced extended outages and uneven coverage. He asked the board who decides the routes for broadband deployment and whether distribution of service has been discriminatory.
"I still haven't got the answer. Who determine what direction that they get broadband and when do they get broadband?" Lanier asked the commissioners, saying neighbors of different races have asked him whether the process is discriminatory.
Chairman acknowledged Lanier's concerns and asked the county manager to gather information for the board and report back. The manager agreed to follow up.
No other members of the public were recorded as speaking during the board's public-comment period. The board did not take formal action on broadband at the meeting.
