Blue Ridge Energy has begun the engineering and construction of fiber-optic infrastructure to bring high-speed internet to parts of northern Caldwell County thanks to GREAT(Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology) grant funding from the North Carolina Department of Information Technology. As construction is completed, high-speed internet service will be provided to customers by SkyBest Communications.
The extensive project requires approximately 60 miles of above ground construction and eight miles of underground construction of fiber in the rocky, mountainous terrain of northern Caldwell County. Due to the size of the project and challenging topography, work will be completed in three phases over approximately two years. After Blue Ridge Energy completes construction to a community, SkyBest Communications will begin offering its high-speed internet there. Homes in phase one are projected to have internet access with speeds up to 1 Gig in spring 2022. SkyBest also offers telephone, TV and security systems.
The grant-funded area includes more than 400 homes and businesses located off Hwy 268 from Indian Grave Road to the Wilkes County line where no internet service is currently available, other than satellite or cellular service. Residents can search for their address on the interactive map located at www.skybest.com/CaldwellGrant21 to determine if it is in the grant area.
