TDS® announces completion of ARRA broadband stimulus project in Georgia

About 250 more households in Fannin County, Ga. now have access to high-speed Internet service

TDS Telecommunications Corp. (TDS®) announces completion of its sixth American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) stimulus-funded broadband Internet project. Now, about 250 additional households in Fannin County (see map) have access to high-speed Internet service.

“The best part about finishing this project in Fannin County is that more customers can now access our high-speed Internet service,” says Joe Kirk, manager of Project Implementation at TDS. “It’s especially meaningful because many of these people didn’t have access to the Internet. Now, they have access to a reliable, high-speed Internet connection that will allow them the opportunity to do most anything.”

More than seven miles of fiber optics cabling was installed and three cabinets (which protect the advanced network electronics) were placed throughout TDS’ Blue Ridge Telephone Co. to provide high-speed Internet access to more residents. Customers interested in signing up for services should call 888-CALL-TDS (888-225-5837).

This project in Georgia is one of 44 that TDS is receiving funding for from the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Utilities Service (RUS) as part of the ARRA. TDS projected the cost at about $1.14 million. The RUS grant covered 75 percent of the cost and TDS invested the remaining 25 percent (nearly $300,000) to expand broadband further out to more residents in Fannin County.

Nationwide, more than 95 percent of TDS customers already have access to high-speed Internet service. TDS is intent on providing as many remaining customers with broadband connectivity as possible. According to TDS, federal stimulus funds are helping to close the gap and deliver Internet connectivity to more than 20,000 customers.

For more information, visit www.tdstelecom.com/stimulus.

# # #