Expanded broadband access is coming to Lumpkin Co. thanks to just over $8 million in funding recently secured by Georgia Senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock.
The $8.1 million dollars will be used to improve internet connectivity in more than 5,000 Lumpkin Co. households, as well as 193 county businesses. The expansion will also cover Lumpkin Co. healthcare providers, schools and libraries.
“I promised to expand broadband internet access in rural Georgia, and I’m pleased to announce this investment in fiber optic connectivity for Lumpkin County,” Sen. Ossoff said in a Friday press release.
Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo said that 15% of Georgia households currently do not have an internet subscription, and 6% of Georgians reside in areas that have "zero broadband infrastructure."
“The pandemic forced many of us to live even more of our lives online. Hardworking Lumpkin County families need reliable internet access for their jobs, education, health care and so much more,” said Senator Reverend Warnock in the release. “I’m pleased to see significant federal investments coming to rural Georgia. I look forward to continuing to provide our rural communities with the virtual and physical infrastructure they need to connect with the rest of the state and thrive in our bustling economy.”
The funding for Lumpkin Co. is part of the $100+ million the Senators secured for Georgia as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
