Southern Indiana Business Report
BEDFORD – An expansion of broadband service in Lawrence County was announced this week by AT&T and the Lawrence County Commissioners.
The project will expand AT&T Fiber to more than 2,300 customer locations in northwest Lawrence County.
The estimated investment is $3.6 million. The expansion is in addition to the 700 locations planned as part of the State’s Next Level Connections broadband grant program.
“This is a great step forward in continuing to improve the quality of life for residents, business owners, first responders and visitors in our community,” said Rodney Fish, commissioner, Lawrence County. “Fast connectivity like this is crucial to our day-to-day activities, and we’re excited that AT&T was willing to collaborate with us to bring more high-speed broadband here.”
“Having access to AT&T Fiber will make a huge difference in everything we do,” said Shance Sizemore, CEO, Lawrence County Economic Growth Council. “Whether it’s entrepreneurs looking to start a business, employees needing great connectivity to work from home or teachers communicating with their colleagues and parents, this project is a welcome boost to Lawrence County.”
Lawrence County will invest $1.1 million, and AT&T will invest $2.5 million in the project.
Plans call for residents and businesses to have access to superfast internet – delivering up to 5-Gig speeds with symmetrical upload and download speeds. Consistently fast speeds and increased bandwidth mean customers can connect multiple devices, stream multiple entertainment sources, quickly upload content to social media and experience ultra-low lag for pro-level gaming – all at the same time.
Extensive planning and engineering work for this project will begin immediately. The network buildout is expected to be complete in 24 months.
“Our purpose is to create connection – a connection to friends, family, work, education, health, entertainment and more,” said Bill Soards, president, AT&T Indiana. “Through public-private collaborations like this one with Lawrence County, we’re able to act on that purpose, while also helping bridge the digital divide in the community. We’re thrilled to be bringing AT&T Fiber here soon, and all of the connectivity benefits that come along with high-speed broadband.”
Residents and businesses can learn more about AT&T Fiber at att.com/fiber and can sign up to be notified when service will be available at their address at att.com/notifyme.
AT&T is working to roll out AT&T Fiber through public-private partnerships in communities across the country and to further close the digital divide by encouraging adoption and offering affordable internet solutions.