January 2010 Issue

NGCSU a Major Hub in North Georgia Broadband Initiative

North Georgia College & State University (NGCSU) has a leading role in the North Georgia Network broadband initiative that will receive $33.5 million in stimulus funding, as announced by Vice President Joe Biden on a visit to North Georgia in December.

The North Georgia Network Cooperative is a public-private partnership that includes NGCSU, area electric membership corporations and economic development agencies who aim to develop a 260-mile regional fiber-optic ring to bring high-speed Internet service to the mountain communities of northeast Georgia that currently have little or no access to the technology.

In addition to the federal stimulus funding, the North Georgia Network has received $8.8 million in matching funds from the state and network partners.

At an event in Dawsonville, Biden, accompanied by Gov. Sonny Perdue, announced an initial $183 million investment in 18 broadband projects benefiting 17 states as part of the Recovery Act. The awards are expected to provide initial job opportunities in infrastructure and manufacturing, as well as to boost economic development for communities held back by limited or no highspeed access to the Internet.

“This network will provide gigabit speeds for this college, 82 public schools and six other colleges,” Perdue said during a subsequent visit to the NCCSU campus. “…The new network also will give this eight-county region the connectivity and reliability needed for economic development and economic diversification.”

NGCSU President David Potter said the network will allow the institution to expand its online and distance learning educational offerings, including high-demand nursing programs and language education courses that can be transmitted to other locations throughout the region and state.