Courtesy- JC Fiber Fb page
FRANKLIN, Ind. – The Johnson County Commissioners announced Thursday that they have approved a $1 million investment in JCFiber’s broadband expansion into the county’s underserved areas.
JCFiber, a subsidiary of JCREMC, is in the middle of a four-year expansion aimed at closing the digital divide between rural and urban areas of the electric cooperative’s service territory. The funds, which come from the county’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allotment, will be used to finish work in JCFiber’s previously announced Zones 2 and 3 on the west side of the county.
“This investment in the future of our county allows us to confidently continue our momentum in expanding broadband access to local underserved residents,” said JCFiber President John Sturm.
In addition to the ARPA funding, JCFiber leadership continues to seek supplemental grants to help offset the extensive costs of building out rural broadband infrastructure.
Construction is complete in Zone 1, which is on the west side of JCREMC’s service territory near Banta, Crooked Creek, and Paradise Lakes. All Zone 1 households are eligible to sign up for service. Zones 2 and 3 are slated for completion by the end of 2022. Many residents in Zone 2 are already eligible to sign up. All residents are notified when their subsection within a zone is ready for sign-ups.
