Broadband expanding in 3 coastal Ga. counties

BRYAN CO., Ga. (WTOC) - More broadband connections are on the way to people in three Coastal Georgia counties.

A new broadband provider, Coastal Fiber, Inc., will soon offer high-speed internet service to 16,000 homes and businesses in Liberty, Bryan and Long counties.

Plans were announced Monday to expand access to the many people living in areas with less access.

The project will start immediately. The Georgia Public Service Commission, Darien Communications and the Coastal Electric Cooperative hope to have customers connected as early as 2022.

In 2019, the Senate wrote a piece of legislation, known as Bill 2, which paved the way for electric membership cooperatives to provide broadband service.

The legislation gave the Public Service Commission compliance authority over EMC’s broadband service. Vice-chairman of the Georgia Public Service Commission Tim Echols says they are working to set rates that are fair and reasonable for everyone.

“Students should not be doing their homework at McDonald’s, people who are starting family business’s need to be able to do that from their home and so many people are using hybrid models to get their college education now or maybe their Master’s Degree. Having high speed connection is important,” said Echols.

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