COLUMBUS COUNTY, FASTER INTERNET IS ON THE WAY!
ATMC was awarded a grant in December 2020 through a special supplementary round of the North Carolina Department of Information Technology GREAT Grant Program to provide high speed internet service to over 1,600 homes and businesses in unserved and underserved areas throughout Columbus County. This includes the rural communities of Boardman, Cerro Gordo, Clarendon, Ricefield, Sandyfield and areas just outside of Chadbourn, Tabor City and Whiteville. In addition, the company will also serve an additional 130 addresses along the Columbus-Brunswick County line near the Northwest Community.
ATMC was awarded a second GREAT Grant in August 2020 and funds made available through this grant are being used to provide a 100% fiber optic network with speeds of up to 1 Gigabit per second to over 1,000 residents and businesses in the Fair Bluff and Boardman communities. Construction efforts on this project are underway and service has become available in most areas.
In July 2020, ATMC completed a construction project funded by the NC GREAT Grant program which enabled us to serve nearly 800 homes in the Beaverdam and Williams Township communities. ATMC was required to make a matching investment for the grant and contributed additional funds to expand the project to reach an additional 400 homes and businesses outside the grant area.
In November of 2019, ATMC was awarded a ReConnect Broadband grant by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Using these funds, ATMC has already begun work to bring fiber optic delivered Internet with speeds up to 1 Gigabit per second, TV, and telephone service to more than 4,000 unserved and underserved homes and businesses located near Hallsboro, Tabor City, Lake Waccamaw and other northern Columbus County communities.
We would like to offer our sincere thanks to the many residents, farmers, business owners and community leaders who supported us in our work to secure these grants. Your support has been a key factor in helping make our applications a success. We are excited to be able to serve you.
Click Here for Columbus County Construction Updates
Construction is underway near Cerro Gordo, Hallsboro, Bolton, Buckhead, and Tabor City. We have multiple crews working to make service available more quickly, but progress has been slowed by supply chain shortages with fiber optic cabling, labor shortages because of Covid-19, and difficulty getting other utility companies to locate their in-ground facilities in a timely fashion. Despite these factors, we are continuing to work toward having the entirety of the project completed by the end of 2022.
Tabor City – Construction is underway near Old Stake Rd. building south toward Tabor City. We have six phases to construct between Old Stake Road and Tabor City and each phase is estimated to take up to seven weeks to complete. As a phase is completed service will be made available. The first phase of these six phases is estimated to be available in early October.
Cerro Gordo - Service is already available for many residing within the Town of Cerro Gordo. Crews are currently working to complete construction between Cerro Gordo and Rough and Ready Road where service should be available as early as October. Work in areas north of Cerro Gordo will follow.
Hallsboro – This area is comprised of ten phases and service is available in the first three. We are currently constructing along Sam Potts Highway west of Lake Waccamaw toward Hallsboro. Service is estimated to be available in these phases by November. Additional phases near Honey Hill Rd., Red Bug Rd. and Dupree Landing Rd should have construction begin before the end of the year.
Buckhead – This area has six total phases. Three phases are under construction currently and a fourth is already complete. All six phases should be complete by December. Service will be available in the completed the phases by November.
St. James, Farmers Union, Old Lumberton Highway, Boardman, Carolina Rd, Sandyfield – Our engineering team is working to design and obtain permits for the network that will be used to serve these areas. During this time, you may see crews staking and surveying the area. We will begin construction in these areas as crews complete work near Tabor City, Cerro Gordo, Hallsboro and Buckhead. We anticipate having service available in these areas by the end of 2022 and before.
MAP LEGEND
ATMC Services Available
Under Construction
GREAT Grant Special Supplementary Round Awarded
GREAT Grant
Coming 2021
ReConnect Grant
Coming 2021-2022
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