Georgia
Industry Engagement
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) engaged with industry in many ways, including assistance with Build America, Buy America (BABA) compliance. NTIA toured OFS Fiber’s manufacturing facilities, Georgia’s largest fiber plant in Carrollton, and the optical cable plant in Norcross. In addition to addressing supply chain concerns, NTIA led meetings focused on maximizing efficiency, including a meeting with state legislators and agency staff to discuss permitting best practices and preparation for workforce training and curricula.
Working with State Partners
NTIA worked closely with the Georgia Technology Authority (GTA) and interagency partners over the last year as Georgia used $5 million in Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) and $1.6 million in Digital Equity planning funds to prepare Georgians for this historic infrastructure investment. The SBO received over $1.3 billion in BEAD allocations, which will be used to ensure that every Georgian has access to affordable, reliable, high-speed Internet.
Other Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth (OICG) Grants at Work in Georgia:
| NTIA’s Broadband Infrastructure Program (BIP) | |
|---|---|
| Lumpkin County | $1.94 million |
| TIA’s Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Program | |
| Dovetel Communications, LL West & NW GA Middle Mile | $12.2 million |
| Zayo Group, LLC Dallas to Atlanta Middle Mile | $13.7 million |
| NTIA’s Connecting Minority Communities (CMC) Pilot Program | |
| Morehouse School of Medicine | $4.2 million |
| Fort Valley State University | $3 million |
| Albany State University | $3 million |
| Atlanta Technical College | $3 million |
State Broadband Office
The Georgia State Broadband Office (SBO), led by GTA, met regularly with NTIA to workshop programmatic development and policy questions. Often GTA and NTIA would convene specific technical assistance sessions. This coordination among federal and state partners worked to improve the rapid and accountable deployment of grant funds.
Books and Football: Local Engagement with the Public Libraries and University of Georgia
NTIA partnered with the Georgia Public Library System and University of Georgia (UGA) Athletics to host an Internet for All public outreach meeting before the Dawgs spring G-Day football game. More than 70 northeast Georgians attended the Internet for All event at Athens-Clarke County Library, including UGA Athletic Director Josh Brooks, Center and Captain Sedrick Van Pran, and Defensive Tackle Warren Brinson to discuss their “Dawgs for Pups” digital equity work to bridge the digital divide in Athens.
Public Engagement
The GTA hosted more than 50 official public meetings, from local roundtables to regional conferences. Public engagement was robust and reached all corners of the state. These community meetings increased public awareness and brought depth to Georgia’s Initial Proposal and Digital Equity Plan. The meetings allowed local citizens to participate in identifying and addressing local broadband infrastructure needs.
Aside from these public outreach meetings, NTIA and GTA participated in hundreds of one-on-one meetings ranging across all sectors of society, including industry leaders, small businesses, Internet Service Providers (ISPs), cable companies, Energy Management Control Systems (EMCs), construction companies, local school boards, higher education, technical and community colleges, healthcare providers, and workforce training organizations.