Presentation Transcript

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