by Catharine Rice —
It was an uplifting day in early April 2021, when Wilson Greenlight learned it had won a Truist EPIC grant award to expand its symmetrical gigabit fiber network to about two hundred majority minority households in Wilson County. These were low density, low-income households that had gone without many options for broadband internet required to fully participate in today’s world. This EPIC grant meant these homes were finally going to be able to access healthcare, school-work, banking and even work directly from their homes.
Fast forward only 3 months. Despite having until December to plan and deploy its fiber network to these underserved residents, on July 20, Wilson Greenlight staff and supporters set up tables under tents in the hot summer heat, put out food, games and freebies and readied themselves to finally sign up their first customers. Their fiber network had already been deployed. A vast network of manufacturer reps, equipment suppliers and technical staff had set themselves on hyper speed to find the materials and labor in the dearth of both created by a COVID-disrupted supply chain.
Slowly out of the surrounding neighborhoods, parents and children walked over to the local volunteer department parking lot, seemingly all with smiles on their faces. “I am ready to order broadband,” and “I raced here from work” were heard amidst the laughter, and over the sounds of children tossing soft bean bags into holed wooden frames set up behind the staff tables. “Get some hotdogs with that broadband,” teased one Greenlight staffer, as he pointed to the local food truck.
Then a cry of joy, a crack of laughter, and what sounded like “Where you been?” filled the air. Heads turned to watch a deep hug between two middle age women from different areas of the neighborhood. They had worked together for an important segment of their lives, but had lost touch for years. They found each other as they stood in front of the Greenlight sign-up table.
“You might think we’re selling broadband here” said Will Aycock, General Manager of Greenlight, “but we are actually connecting community.”
The “Expanding Potential in Communities” (EPIC) Grant program supports broadband initiatives in the southeastern US, and is funded by the Truist Financial Corporation’s Truist Cares Initiative, a multi-million philanthropic pledge to help rebuild communities in the company’s markets affected by COVID. Its administering partner is the Internet Society. Wilson Greenlight Community Broadband is a municipally-owned symmetrical gigabit fiber network in its 13th successful year of service.
