Update on the South Macon Project

Jeff Lee, LittleT Broadband

I am happy to report that there has been some progress in recent weeks towards the completion of the new fiber backbone network in the South Macon area. Balsam West and the Otto Community Development Organization signed an easement agreement a couple of weeks ago which will allow Balsam West to place an equipment hut on the Otto Community Center property. A similar agreement has been made between Haywood EMC and Balsam West in Scaly Mountain across from the fire station.

Equipment huts in Otto and Scaly are necessary to allow completion of the fiber backbone and support expansion into the surrounding communities. With the agreements in place Balsam West has been working on construction of the foundation for the hut in Otto, and plans to start on the Scaly hut next week. With utility location marking complete, we anticipate fiber to be pulled up Firehouse Road to the new hut in Otto in the next week or two. Fiber will follow in similar fashion in Scaly Mountain after the Scaly hut is ready there.

Once the equipment huts are in place and connected to the backbone, fiber can then be extended to the Otto Community Center, Scaly Mountain Community Center, and the Sky Valley, Scaly Mountain Fire facility. Activation of fiber service to these three facilities will signify that the new backbone is live. Shortly after, our network hotspot contractor Wired Inc. of Franklin will complete the hotspot connections and allow us to start offering public wifi access at these locations, and high-speed fiber service to the Otto and Scaly fire station facilities.

We are excited to be nearing the completion of this project.