At Monday’s (February 6) Alexander County Board of Commissioners meeting, a presentation was made regarding broadband access in Alexander County. Access continues to grow with the recent installation of new fixed-wireless equipment on an existing tower in the Stony Point community. Open Broadband LLC’s Chief Technology Officer Kent Winrich presented a progress update at the meeting.

Winrich said the company currently has 350+ customers in Alexander County, many of whom are in unserved or underserved areas. He said the Stony Point tower equipment is now fully operational and new customers will be added in the coming days and weeks. He added that the company is doing a controlled rollout to ensure customer satisfaction.

With the Stony Point tower and several associated hubs to be added in the northeast and southeast areas of the county, Winrich said that approximately 350 underserved homes could be served. In addition, Winrich provided an update on the Moore Mountain tower project, which has been stalled due to tower stability issues and landowner compliance. He said the company has now entered an agreement to utilize a tower in Wilkes County to provide broadband service to 100+ homes in Alexander County.

Chairman Marty Pennell relayed concerns from citizens regarding the rollout of broadband service. There are currently more than 100 people on the waitlist for site surveys. To add your name to the list, visit www.openbb.net/alexanderco or call (980) 246-8989.

[Story courtesy of Rick Gilbert, WACB]