JUNE 10, 2008 -- ONUG Communications Inc. (search for ONUG Communications) was chosen by the government of Rutherford County, NC, to design a high-speed network for the county. ONUG will provide design, planning, CAD services, and project related services for the county.
As of June 2007, there were more than 66 million broadband subscribers in the United States--nearly 80% of active Internet users, note ONUG representatives. Most subscribers or active Internet users live in high-density urban and sub-urban population centers. Rural areas of the country have been left behind due to the cost per capita of providing broadband service.
Rutherford County says it is on the cusp of overcoming the rural-broadband challenge thanks to a grant from the Golden LEAF Foundation. The grant is being used to extend the network for governmental and economic development purposes to outlying areas where broadband is not available. The planned extension of "middle mile" fiber will provide wireless "last mile" private Internet service providers with a cost-effective system to offer Internet access to underserved areas.
The county has chosen ONUG to design a combination fiber and wireless network that will supply broadband communications to first responders (fire and police), libraries and schools, as well as supply a countywide data backbone that will support Internet access for its citizens.
"We are excited about the opportunity to help Rutherford County bridge the broadband divide," asserts Daniel Huffman, president of ONUG Communications. "We look forward to addressing the unique challenges posed by the geography of the county by applying truly unprecedented technical solutions that simply were not available before," he says.
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