Georgia Magazine - June 2024 - 16

COOPERATIVE Concerns
By Kevin Curtin
Many steps but one goal:
broadband for all Georgians
I
ue Ridge
untain EMC
Habersham
EMC
n a world dominated by bad news on the television and in the
newspaper, we feel like we seldom hear that things are getting
better. Access to high-speed broadband service is one area in
which many Georgians have seen improvement in recent years.
Providers face significant logistical and cost challenges to
ADBAND EFFORTSEMC BROADBAND EFFORTS
EMC BROADBAND EFFORTS
EMC BROADBAND EFFORTS
provide quality broadband to all Georgians. Policymakers and
residents recognize that access to broadband internet has
become essential for Georgians' personal and professional lives.
However, what we don't hear much about in the daily news is the
real progress that is being made to bridge the digital divide.
To highlight some good news, 25 of Georgia's electric
OVERALL
membership cooperatives (EMCs) are working to help increase
broadband availability on a daily basis.
As of July 2023, EMC-related projects had provided more
than 190,000 locations statewide with fiber broadband and
25
EMCs
Blue Ridge
Mountain EMC
Blue Ridge
Mountain EMC
Habersham
EMC
Amicalola EMC
Amicalola EMC
C
Amicalola EMC
Jackson EMC
EMC BROADBAND EFFORTS
Cobb EMC
Cobb EMC
Carroll
EMC
Carroll
EMC
ntral Georgia
EMC
rs
rgy
Tri-County
EMC
GreyStone
Power
GreyStone
Power
Jefferson
Energy
Carroll
EMC
Diverse
Power
Diverse
Power
Oconee
EMC
ergies
Middle Georgia
EMC
Ocmulgee
EMC
Carroll
EMC
Washington
EMC
Jackson EMC
Cobb EMC
Cooperative
Southern Rivers
Energy
GreyStone
Power
Southern Rivers
Energy
Cobb EMC
Diverse
Power
Altamaha
EMC
Central Georgia
EMC
Central Georgia
EMC
Amicalola EMC
Blue Ridge
Mountain EMC
Habersham
EMC
Tri-County
EMC
Tri-County
EMC
Jackson EMC
Flint Energies
Flint Energies
GreyStone
Power
Sumter EMC
Sumter EMC
Irwin EMC
Diverse
Power
Diverse
Power
Diverse
Power
Colquitt EMC
Satilla REMC
Southern Rivers
Energy
Middle Georgia
EMC
Middle Georgia
EMC
Central Georgia
EMC
Southern Rivers
Energy
Mitchell
EMC
Mitchell
EMC
Diverse
Power
Sumter EMC
Grady
EMC
Grady
EMC
LEGEND
Diverse
Power
EMC broadband networks started prior to passage of
Georgia Broadband Opportunity Act in 2019
Mitchell
EMC
EMC providing or to provide retail broadband service
through affi liate/subsidiary or via partnership
Grady
EMC
NMENT RELATIONS: Suite 845, 75 Fifth St NW, Atlanta GA 30308 * (404) 521-7600 * georgiaemc.com GOVERNMENT RELATIONS: Suite 845, 75 Fifth St NW, Atlanta GA 30308 * (404) 521-7600 * georgiaemc.com
Colquitt EMC
Grady
EMC
16 Georgia Magazine June 2024
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS: Suite 845, 75 Fifth St NW, Atlanta GA 30308 * (404) 521-7600 * georgiaemc.com
government relations at Tucker-based Georgia
Electric Membership Corp.
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS: Suite 845, 75 Fifth St NW, Atlanta GA 30308 * (404) 521-7600 * georgiaemc.com
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS: Suite 845, 75 Fifth St NW, Atlanta GA 30308 * (404) 521-7600 * georgiaemc.com
Sumter EMC
Flint Energies
Oconee
EMC
Oconee
EMC
Carroll
EMC
Carroll
EMC
GreyStone
Power
GreyStone
Power
AS OF 7/1/23
+190K
locations served
Cooperative
Jefferson
Energy
Washington
EMC
Washington
EMC
Central Georgia
EMC
+63K
subscribers
Diverse
Power
Diverse
Power
Tri-County
EMC
Ocmulgee
EMC
Ocmulgee
EMC
Flint Energies
Coastal
Electric
Cooperative
Jefferson
Energy
+$277
million invested
+14K
Altamaha
EMC
Oconee
EMC
Irwin EMC
Irwin EMC
Tri-County
EMC
Oconee
EMC
Altamaha
EMC
Diverse
Power
Cooperative
Diverse
Power
Washington
EMC
Middle Georgia
EMC
Colquitt EMC
Colquitt EMC
Middle Georgia
EMC
Mitchell
EMC
Irwin EMC
Colquitt EMC
Satilla REMC
Served areas
Unserved areas
Ocmulgee
EMC
Satilla REMC
Satilla REMC
Mitchell
EMC
Mitchell
EMC
Jefferson
Energy
Cooperative
Southern Rivers
Energy
Southern Rivers
Energy
Flint Energies
Flint Energies
miles of fiber built
Washington
EMC
Jefferson
Energy
Sumter EMC
Sumter EMC
Jackson EMC
Jackson EMC
Habersham
EMC
Blue Ridge
Mountain EMC
+$1B
to be invested
332K
Habersham
EMC
Georgians to be served
103
counties to be served
Cobb EMC
Cobb EMC
25
EMCS
Central Georgia
EMC
Central Georgia
EMC
Amicalola EMC
Amicalola EMC
Blue Ridge
Mountain EMC
Blue Ridge
Mountain EMC
Habersham
EMC
Habersham
EMC
Jackson EMC
Jackson EMC
OVERALL
OVERALL
25
EMCs
T$1B +O BE INVESTED
332K
103
Cooperative
Middle Georgia
EMC
Middle Georgia
EMC
Altamaha
EMC
SUBSCRIBERS63K +
$277 +
Coastal
Electric
Cooperative
Coastal
Electric
Cooperative
Ocmulgee
EMC
Irwin EMC
Altamaha
EMC
Grady
EMC
Grady
EMC
Satilla REMC
MILES14K +
Coastal
Electric
Cooperative
+$1B
Tri-County
EMC
Tri-County
EMC
GEORGIANS TO BE SERVED
COUNTIES TO BE SERVED
AS OF 7/1/23
OCATIONS SERVED
counties to be served
Oconee
EMC
Oconee
EMC
Ocmulgee
EMC
Ocmulgee
EMC
Kevin Curtin
helped more than 63,000 Georgians subscribe to these services.
EMCs have invested more than $277 million to date and built
more than 14,000 miles of fiber networks across our state.
Most locations served by EMC projects were previously
unserved by broadband of any type.
As I shared with readers last year (August 2023 issue,
OVERALL
OVERALL
EMC BROADBAND EFFORTS
OVERALL
OVERALL
25
EMCs
Georgia. This included:
* 120,000 locations that were unserved for broadband and had
no government funding commitment; and
* 75,000 locations that were underserved for broadband
and had no government funding commitment.
( " Underserved " are connections that will not
provide a minimum of 100 Mbps for downloads
and 20 Mbps for uploads.)
The Georgia Technology Authority is in the
25
EMCs
+$1B
to be invested
332K
+$1B
Georgians to be served
103
to be invested
332K
Georgians to be served
103
counties to be served
counties to be served
to be invested
332K
AS OF 7/1/23
+190K
locations served
locations served
AS OF 7/1/23
+190K
Georgians to be served
103
Washington
EMC
Washington
EMC
+63K
subscribers
+63K
subscribers
L190K + locations served
AS OF 7/1/23
+190K
Irwin EMC
Irwin EMC
+63K
subscribers
Colquitt EMC
Colquitt EMC
MILLION INVESTED
+$277
million invested
+14K
OF FIBER BUILT
+$277
million invested
+14K
miles of fiber built
miles of fiber built
+$277
million invested
+14K
25
EMCs
to be invested
332K
+$1B
OVERALL
+$1B
to be invested
332K
Georgians to be served
103
counties to be served
Jefferson
Energy
Cooperative
Cooperative
Jefferson
Energy
+$1B
Georgians to be served
103
to be invested
332K
Georgians to be served
103
counties to be served
counties to be served
process of getting Georgia's BEAD plan approved by
the federal government to move forward with the
allocation of that $1.3 billion to build or extend
broadband networks. As part of that process,
Georgia's broadband providers have recently
identified almost 27,000 currently unserved
locations they'll commit to serving by the end of
2025 without the aid of any government funding
subsidy. That means Georgia's BEAD program will
have fewer than 93,000 unserved locations that
will still need service by the end of 2028, the BEAD
deadline for project completion.
What all those numbers show is that significant
AS OF 7/1/23
+190K
locations served
locations served
AS OF 7/1/23
+190K
AS OF 7/1/23
+190K
locations served
Altamaha
EMC
Altamaha
EMC
+63K
subscribers
Satilla REMC
+$277
million invested
+14K
Coastal
Electric
Cooperative
miles of fiber built
Coastal
Electric
Cooperative
progress is being made across our state to narrow
the digital divide and that universal broadband
availability may be a reality in all of Georgia within
the next five years.
With the efforts of many EMCs and other
Satilla REMCmiles of fiber built
Coastal
Electric
Cooperative
broadband providers, there is light at the end of the
broadband-availability tunnel in Georgia.
You aren't likely to see that type of good news in
the daily newspaper or on a TV newscast, but it is
news that Georgians should care about.
Kevin Curtin is the senior vice president for
+63K
subscribers
+63K
subscribers
+$277
million invested
+14K
miles of fiber built
miles of fiber built
+$277
million invested
+14K
25
EMCs
25
EMCs
bit.ly/23brdbnd), the Federal Infrastructure Investment and
Jobs Act of 2021 created the Broadband, Equity, Access and
Deployment (BEAD) program, which has allocated $1.3 billion
to provide for unserved and underserved locations in Georgia.
As of August 2023, a broadband coverage gap still existed in
SOURCE: GEORGIA EMC
GEORGIA EMC
http://bit.ly/23brdbnd
Georgia Magazine - June 2024

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