According to the data from the Georgia Broadband Mapping Initiative, 3% of Paulding County residential and business locations are underserved. These 1,738 locations are primarily in the southwest and western Paulding County. With the pandemic, significant IT shortfalls have been divulged for many Paulding residents with the most concerning matter being students’ inability to progress in their schoolwork. 

Haralson County has been announced as Broadband Ready by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA). The designation recognizes a city/and or county whose local government has completed the application and demonstrated compliance with the adoption of a local comprehensive plan inclusive of the deployment of broadband services and a Broadband Model Ordinance.

Jefferson County has been home to international business and industry as well as being a large agriculture sector. Though the farming community has been vital to the county, the lack of high-speed internet has not only affected the equipment used for farming but also the quality of life for Jefferson’s residents.

Warren County has been announced as Broadband Ready by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA). The designation recognizes a city/and or county whose local government has completed the application and demonstrated compliance with the adoption of a local comprehensive plan inclusive of the deployment of broadband services and a Broadband Model Ordinance.

Growing in population and commercial development, Lee County is still considered a primarily rural area with several locations either underserved or with no access to internet service at all. Areas in need of broadband service range from 50-year-old farmhouses in North Lee County to new residential developments in the South. With the county citizens’ complaints began to amplify due to the pandemic, Lee County propelled itself to apply for the designation. 

Bartow County has recently been announced as Broadband Ready, receiving a certification from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA). The designation recognizes a city and/or county whose local government has completed the application and demonstrated compliance with the adoption of a local comprehensive plan inclusive of the deployment of broadband services and a Broadband Model Ordinance.

With COVID-19 impacting several counties across the state, limited internet access challenges have been a highlighted issue for the residents and businesses of Marion County. The pandemic had caused the gaps in the community to become more apparent as school systems closed and people were having issues connecting to the internet.

Being close in proximity to Fort Gordon, Clarks Hill Lake, and Interstate 20, McDuffie County expects more growth of new residents, larger industries, and commercial activity. Like most rural counties within Georgia, however, McDuffie has large portions where there is little-to-no access to internet.

Elbert County, located in northeast Georgia, kicked off 2021 with a Broadband Ready Certification from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. County Commission Chairman Lee Vaughn said there are few internet providers in the area, leaving many individuals, families, and businesses completely unserved. Like many communities around the state, COVID-19 exacerbated the issue known as the digital divide.

Broadband service in rural Georgia received a $4.6 million boost when the USDA announced a ReConnect investment in Evans and Tatnall counties in early January. The ReConnect program is a USDA initiative in which a total of $600 million will be allocated for broadband infrastructure expansion in rural America.