Aug 31 2010
ERC Broadband has been granted about $15 million for constructing and maintaining more than 100 miles of optical fiber cable in five counties of North Carolina. The funding has been awarded under the $75 million stimulus granted by the U.S. Department of Commerce to MCNC.
General Manager of ERC Broadband, Hunter Goosman stated that the company would deploy fiber-optic cable in the Avery, McDowell, Mitchell, Madison, and Buncombe counties. Goosman added that the fiber-optic cable in the Buncombe County would run to the North Carolina Arboretum and through 12 fire stations.
The Arboretum was chosen to support its research programs, which are conducted in sustainability, horticulture, ethnobotany, biotechnology, and climate change. ERC expects that its fiber-optic network will increase competition among the current service providers and decrease prices for consumers in the Madison County. The company also expects that the network will offer an additional geographic route for companies in McDowell and Mitchell counties.
However, the county that will have the most benefit is Avery. ERC Broadband will install fiber-optic cable to the Appalachian State University, Boone, through the Avery County. The installation will also encompass government offices, hospitals, and schools.