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LAST MILE COMMUNITY NETWORKS – EXAMPLES AND OPPORTUNITIES Orangeburg County, SC MARCH 21, 2013

LAST MILE COMMUNITY NETWORKS – EXAMPLES AND OPPORTUNITIES Orangeburg County, SC MARCH 21, 2013. Presented By: Harold M. Young County Administrator. Community Assessment.

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LAST MILE COMMUNITY NETWORKS – EXAMPLES AND OPPORTUNITIES Orangeburg County, SC MARCH 21, 2013

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  1. LAST MILE COMMUNITY NETWORKS – EXAMPLES AND OPPORTUNITIES Orangeburg County, SCMARCH 21, 2013 Presented By: Harold M. Young County Administrator

  2. Community Assessment • Rural communities with limited tax bases often lack the resources that are needed to develop the community and economic development infrastructure they need • In December 2009, a report titled “Creating Greater Opportunity in South Carolina’s I-95 Corridor: A Human Needs Assessment” was jointly released by South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, South Carolina and Francis Marion University in Florence, South Carolina. • “Finding 4.5 – The lack of Internet and broadband infrastructure limits students, workers, access to markets, access to healthcare, and entrepreneur opportunities.”

  3. Findings • This lead leadership in Orangeburg County to immediately recognize that true, high-speed broadband service was not being offered by the private sector providers to citizens living in the rural areas of the county. • The same scenarioalso existed for prime economic development sites located along the I-95 and I-26 corridors in Orangeburg County. • This condition led Orangeburg County to apply for broadband grant funds under the USDA Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP)

  4. Outcomes • In September 2010, Orangeburg County was selected as a recipient of an $18,650,000 broadband project award by USDA RUS. • The project award was comprised of a 75% grant ($13,987,500) and a 25% loan/changed to match ($4,662,500). * • The project addresses a 278 square mile service area in rural, southeastern Orangeburg County that extends to 3,631 residential customers, 90 business customers, and 12 critical community facilities

  5. Benefits to Orangeburg County • Improvement in public schools • More attractive to economic development prospects • Better access to healthcare • Infrastructure sustainable for the future

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