Rowan County Fiscal Court Issues Request For Proposals Seeking Partners To Bring Broadband Internet To Rural Rowan County

Our community’s next step into the 21st century will come on the heel of identifying a qualified partner to help bring broadband internet access to the most rural and underserved parts of Rowan County.

The need for high-quality, reliable broadband internet service in Rowan County has never been more evident. From online learning, to telehealth and telework, our people have become well accustomed to this new virtual landscape we find ourselves in; but so often they lack the internet speeds and capacity necessary to thrive in this environment.

A new digital world presents Rowan County with an equal number of opportunities to seize and hardships to overcome. Major structural improvement to our broadband infrastructure is necessary to pave the way forward for Rowan County. We must put in the work today to secure our future tomorrow.

It is time to act. The Rowan County Fiscal Court is seeking major grant funded improvements to the fiberoptic infrastructure of the county. The initiative seeks to specifically target areas that are unserved or underserved as it relates to high-speed internet.

A Request for Proposal (RFP) has been issued by the Office of the Rowan County Judge-Executive seeking a qualified and willing partner to review the current status of broadband availability, to develop a plan for the construction of an expanded network to address the deficient areas in the County, and to partner with the County to construct and operate the required middle-mile and last-mile infrastructure.

Qualified parties interested in responding are encouraged to download a copy of the the RFP and supporting documents at www.rcky.us/broadband. A copy of the recently completed Morehead-Rowan County Broadband Feasibility Study is also available at this web address. The final submittal date is August 2, 2021.