Telecom company lays out two-phase plan to bring broadband coverage to Perry County

Experts from a Shelby County telecom company recently laid out their plans to bring broadband coverage to Perry County.

Pelham-based E-footprints presented an overview of the Perry County Broadband Project to officials representing the county, its municipalities, county schools and Main Street Marion. Phase 1 will provide service to at least 70% of the county’s residents, funded by E-footprints and ADECA funds. It will also provide basic redundancy with additional redundancy as Points of Presence (POPs) are added.

Phase 2 will provide service to 100% of county residents and again be funded by E-footprints and ADECA funds. Multiple redundancy paths will continue to be provided as multiple POPs are added.

During the meeting, Marion Mayor Dexter Hinton proposed that the Perry County municipalities form a coalition for the purpose of applying for broadband grant funding that will provide full coverage for Perry County. Perry County ranks at or near the bottom in broadband access for rural areas and residents.

The process began in the fall of 2020 when a Broadband Working group was formed to establish broadband coverage in Perry County. This group includes County Commissioner Cedric Hudson, Hinton, Uniontown Mayor Christopher Jones and Perry County School Superintendent Dr. Marsha Smiley.

Main Street Marion Board President Donald Bennett said a grant application was submitted in 2020 to ADECA with letters of support from Hinton, Jones, Smiley, Marion Military Institute President Col. David Mollahan and Bennett, among others.

In 2021, a $1.5 million grant was approved by ADECA for Perry County broadband. The grant went to E-footprints, specialist in wireless internet systems, to design and implement the system. Bennett said in the summer of 2021, discussions with Hinton and Jones were taking place about placing Wi-Fi transmitters on city-owned water towers.

Bennett said Main Street Marion and E-footprints signed a lease agreement in January that includes office space in the Main Street Marion office at 314 Washington Street. The agreement also states EFP Broadband, LLC will provide business-level broadband internet service on a private Wi-Fi network that will accommodate several streaming devices while allowing clients to conduct classes and perform office activities. The downtown network will also extend Wi-Fi service into the town square area.