North Georgia Network Installs First Core Point-of-Presence in Cleveland

‘C-POP’ opening ceremony set for Feb. 21

CLARKESVILLE, Ga. (Feb. 16, 2012) – The North Georgia Network has installed the first Core Point-of-Presence (C-POP) on its high-speed fiber optic network at White County High School in Cleveland, Ga.

White County Community & Economic Development, White County High School and White County Development Authority will officially open the C-POP with a ceremony at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21.

The North Georgia Network is a 1,100-mile fiber-optic network that will benefit the residents of Dawson, Forsyth, Habersham, Lumpkin, Rabun, Towns, Union and White counties with more reliable and more affordable high-speed Internet access.

The C-POPs are the points on the network’s main 260-mile loop where service can be built out to nearby areas, running fiber optics to industrial parks, schools and individual businesses and homes.

“Establishing the C-POP in Cleveland will be a huge benefit for businesses and education in White County,” said Tom O’Bryant, White County Director of Community and Economic Development. “We’re going to be able to provide the same access to information as schools in Atlanta, and we know this is going to change the shape of business and education in White County and open up avenues for growth in both areas for years to come.”

The Cleveland C-POP is the first of six along the network that connects back to the Internet hub in Atlanta from two directions and circles through the eight-county region in North Georgia. Three other C-POPs – in Dahlonega, Dawsonville and Cumming – will be located in new facilities, such as the one in Cleveland, and are scheduled to be installed before the end of 2011. Two other C-POPs will be installed in existing buildings at the southernmost and northernmost points on the core ring – Atlanta and Blairsville. The entire project will be completed by Nov. 30, 2012.

The North Georgia Network began as a joint effort of economic development professionals in Dawson, Forsyth, Lumpkin, Union and White counties, North Georgia College & State University, Blue Ridge Mountain EMC and Habersham EMC.

The goal was to lay a foundation for a new technology-based economy in the region. The network will be able to support applications that require enormous amounts of bandwidth and will allow businesses to better compete in the global economy, enable schools to offer more distance learning, support more healthcare services and provide area citizens with world-class connectivity.

The $42 million North Georgia Network broadband infrastructure project is made possible in large part by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). ARRA provided grant funds to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to support major improvements in broadband infrastructure for the nation’s digitally unserved and underserved. In December 2009, NGN became the first organization to be awarded a grant through the program, receiving $33 million under the NTIA’s Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP). Additional funding came from the OneGeorgia Authority and participating local communities.

For more information, contact:
Tiffany Fessler
Morton Vardeman & Carlson
770-536-8921
tiffany@vardeman.com

Jeff Butler
Morton Vardeman & Carlson
770-536-8921
jeff@vardeman.com