4-County receives $35.5 M from Rural Digital Opportunity Fund

A company in the golden triangle received millions of dollars today to elevate the lifestyle in northeast mississippi.

Wtva's rhea thornton was in lowndes county to witness the historic event.

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Earlier today, 4-county electric power association officially received over 35 million dollars from the fcc to provide broadband internet service to rural parts of east central mississippi.

Brandon presley - public service commissioner: "we cannot except as a policy in this state that internet access means sitting in a fast food parking lot."

4-county electric power association officially received 35.5 million dollars from the rural digital opportunity fund to bring its new fastnet internet service to rural areas in east central mississippi.

One of those hoping to be impacted by the internet expansion is carl mickens.

Carl mickens - representative of district 42: "i personally live it every day.

The kids are suffering because of it."

Mickens works in the house of representatives serving lowndes, winston, and noxubee county.

He pushed for the bill to fund bringing internet to the outskirts of the cities.

Carl mickens - representative of district 42: "my passion was to make sure that the kids have access to the internet because they're our future and they need to be able to learn at the same pace that kids that are inner city are able to do."

This funding will allow 4-county to provide its broadband service to over 12 thousand homes in the 9 counties it serves.

Public service commissioner, brandon presley believes this money will make mississippi's technology more comparable to other states.

Brandon presley - public service commissioner: "this is an investment in our future, an investment in our children, an investment in our communities that is going to help mississippi workers not only survive today in a pandemic and be able to be economically sustainable but also to grow in a modern economy and a modern world that's changing."

Tag: 4-county ceo, brian clark explained late last week how the company plans to start its work in lone oak in clay county... and will continue to spread its broadband internet to more rural areas throughout the next four years.

Reporting for wtva 9 news, i'm rhea thornton.

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