The Daily Southerner, Tarboro, NC

Local News

July 28, 2009

Wireless study almost complete

Where is broadband needed in county?

T.J. ROYAL

Edgecombe County Housing and Economic Development Director Eric Evans said the study on wireless broadband Internet access should be done before the end of August.

Wireless broadband Internet access for Edgecombe was a project championed by Tarboro Councilman Dr. Steve Hoard during the Golden LEAF Foundation's Community Assistance Initiative last year. After receiving input through the community and prioritizing the importance of several projects, Golden LEAF awarded the county $100,000 to conduct a wireless Internet feasibility study. The objective is to see if a wireless network would be viable within Edgecombe County.

"We expect the full report within the next 30 days" from Raleigh-based communication engineering firm ONUG Communications, Evans said. "We're blessed to have a lot of opportunities come our way, ... and the county is going to work hard to take advantage of them."

Back in April, the county Board of Commissioners approved an $81,123 contract with ONUG to perform the study. Evans explained that the company will see where broadband is needed within Edgecombe County, and then design a wireless Internet network and "project how much that would cost to build and sustain it."

The county is not yet sure how it will spend the rest of the funds left over from the Golden LEAF grant, Evans added.

After the results are released later this summer the county will look into other funding opportunities available through Golden LEAF and the Federal Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

"Our hope is that if we complete our study, it will position us to pursue further funding" through the state foundation and the federal government, Evans said.

Another avenue for funding for a wireless broadband Internet system could come through the federal Department of Energy. Nearly $76 million will be available in North Carolina through the State Energy Program, part of the federal stimulus.

In order to apply for that money, the county is partnering with Edgecombe County Public Schools and Edgecombe Community College to come up with an energy savings plan.

"You try to do policy and behavioral changes among your staff" to cut energy consumption and save money on energy bills through the plan, Evans said. The county, ECPS and ECC are working to get their plan finished before the middle of September.

Changes in the energy savings plan could include replacing exit signs' lights with LED displays that consume less energy, and replacing fluorescent lights with with even more efficient fixtures. By replacing those lights with the more efficient technology, Evans said that it "more than pays for itself" with long-term savings.

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