City of Warm Springs GA

Announced by Meriwether County Chamber of Commerce:   Meriwether County, along with its neighboring counties of Upson; Troup and Heard, has been awarded a grant in the amount of $134,000 from the OneGeorgia Authority to conduct a feasibility analysis to assess broadband connectivity for the multi-county area. The goal will be to assess current broadband capacity, users, needs and future opportunities for greater broadband connectivity. Key Bridges, Inc. has been selected to conduct the study which will begin with a series of interviews and surveys with key stakeholder groups throughout the four-county area. The study will culminate in a comprehensive analysis of existing resources, needs, economic impact and community readiness and commitment. It will also include a business plan and serve as leverage to secure funding for implementation of a fiber optic backbone network. Three Rivers Regional Commission, along with the Meriwether County Board of Commissioners and the Meriwether County Chamber of Commerce have served as the leaders in this process. This is a huge step forward for our county as we have vast pockets of underserved areas relative to broadband connectivity and as we know broadband has become the "electricity of the 21st century". For more information about this project, govisit the web site at http://www.upsoncountyga.org/onegeorgiagrant