Today Governor Brian P. Kemp applauded Carroll EMC and Syncglobal for expanding fiber-to-the-home broadband to rural Georgians in the ribbon cutting of Phase I of their project.

The Carroll Electric Membership Cooperative is teaming up with Syncglobal to start Phase I with a $40 million investment to serve more than 10,000 rural Georgians. The project will positively impact five counties in western Georgia.

“The Carroll Electric Membership Cooperative and Syncglobal announcement today will positively impact the lives of countless hardworking Georgians in some of the most rural agricultural communities in our state. Fiber-to-the-home broadband service opens doors for new business opportunities, additional education resources, telemedicine, and so many other tools that improve everyday quality of life,” said Governor Kemp. “This is another product of Senate Bill 2 which I signed in 2019, giving EMCs the legal ability to provide broadband service. I want to thank Carroll EMCs leadership for finding a partner to help develop a solution to better serve their entire community.”

The fiber-optic network will offer members access to symmetrical gigabit internet capabilities (same download and upload speeds) – among the fastest and most robust in the nation. Additionally, it will provide reliable, clear phone service and enable the benefits of smart grid capabilities to the electrical infrastructure, including improved power outage response times, better load balancing, more efficient electricity delivery, and other benefits.

In recent years, Georgia’s EMCs have been aggressively pursuing solutions to help expand broadband. Some, like Blue Ridge Mountain EMC and Habersham EMC, have created affiliates and are already providing high-speed service to members and many are exploring or have formed partnerships with broadband providers. In addition to today’s news, other EMC partnerships and projects were announced recently by Amicalola EMC, Carroll EMC, Central Georgia EMC, Colquitt EMC, Diverse Power, Southern Rivers Energy, Tri-County EMC, and Washington EMC, resulting in expanded access for more than 120,000 Georgia homes and businesses.