About

Grant Awarded

The U.S. Commerce Department’s NTIA awarded a $21M Grant for Northwest Georgia and Eastern Alabama to Appalachian Valley Fiber Network (AVFN), a public-private partnership established to develop and expand broadband in the underserved areas of the region. The Grant award was a collaborative success based on the effort of The Northwest Georgia Regional Commission, The Alabama Broadband Initiative, multiple state agencies, county governments and development authorities within the region along with the Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute and private partner Parker FiberNet, LLC.

Job creation and business development are closely tied to the availability of high capacity broadband based on a 2009 TechSmart study commissioned by four counties in Northwest Georgia and prepared by the Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute. To read the study, click here.

The grant includes construction of at least 187 miles of new fiber optic cable with enhanced and expanded service capabilities. The total combined network, upon completion, will include over 500 miles of high-capacity infrastructure. The grant will include construction projects in 8 Georgia Counties including Bartow, Chattooga, Floyd, Gordon, Haralson, Paulding, Polk and Walker Counties, as well as along the I-20 Corridor of Alabama in Cleburne and Calhoun Counties.

Parker FiberNet

AVFN member Parker FiberNet brings an existing high-capacity, middle-mile fiber network to the project as well as proven expertise in network development, fiber construction and management. Parker FiberNet is one of the founders and the sole partner of AVFN. Parker supplied the majority of matching funds required for the grant award. The company currently operates fiber networks in Northwest and Northeast Georgia, and works around the world with the Department of Defense and other clients. Parker’s core network and data center in Rome, Georgia, will be the nucleus of the Appalachian Valley Fiber Network.