POMEROY — New Era Broadband, which already provides some high speed Internet service to portions of rural Meigs County, has been approved for a $2.9 million federal grant to expand those services into even more areas of the county.
The grant, administered through the United States Department of Agriculture, is federal stimulus money appropriated for bringing broadband services to underserved communities in rural Meigs County. New Era Broadband began signing up customers for high speed Internet service in rural Meigs County a year ago. Currently, the company has around 117 customers but with this grant, it’s estimated those accounts could climb to 3,000. The grant is meant to reach people local providers like Suddenlink and Verizon can’t reach. The company currently has three access points to transmit their signal to customers — one attached to the MARCS tower on McKenzie Ridge, the Racine Water Tower and Tuppers Plains-Chester Water Tower on Mile Hill Road. The company, with the help of the grant, will go from these three access points to 26 access points spread throughout rural Meigs County. The first new access point the company will start on will be in the Five Points area to reach customers who only have access to dial-up Internet service.
In some cases the access points will be attaching to already existing structures, such as the water towers and towers owned by American Electric Power, Verizon, AT&T, etc. The company will also build six towers in the county, three that are 195 feet tall, three that are 90 feet tall. In addition, New Era will be tying into a fiber network being created by Horizon Telcom for Southern Ohio Health Care Network.
How fast New Era Broadband can begin to expand its coverage area depends on how swiftly the USDA releases funds. Brien Burke, president of New Era, said he believes the company can be putting up equipment this year. The project is estimated to be completed in two years, once it begins. Once completed, New Era hopes to provide coverage to over three-quarters of the county which means 70 percent of the population will at least have access to broadband service. Also, existing customers will have higher speeds of broadband to choose from.
Meigs County Economic Development Director Perry Varnadoe said this grant will take Meigs County from “one of the most disconnected to connected” in the state.
“This means someone in Letart will have the same accessibility to broadband internet as someone in Pomeroy at a reasonable price,” Varnadoe said.
Both Burke and New Era Spokesperson Dave Hannun are from Meigs County, with the business being based out of Coolville.
“This is also a story of a small business,” Varnadoe pointed out, stressing it wasn’t everyday a Meigs County business received a $2.9 million grant that would also benefit other small businesses.
According to New Era, this project stands to benefit over 8,000 people, 165 businesses and six community institutions. Also, the company estimates the project will directly support at least 200 jobs upfront and help drive economic development in the community that creates jobs for “years to come.”
New Era can be reached online at www.newerabroadband.com or at 1-866-937-9991. The company has created a waiting list for those who are not currently in their service area but would like to be notified as the company expands high speed Internet across the county.
Read more: Pomeroy Daily Sentinel – High speed Internet to rural Meigs Co Company awarded 2 9 million grant
