Network operator A2D has entered into a public-private partnership with Fort Mac LRA to build an open access fiber-to-the-premises network on the site that formerly housed Atlanta’s Fort MacPherson. The network, to be known as eCommunity Fort Mac, will be funded, in part, through a $41,000 grant from Invest Atlanta.
In keeping with the open access concept, eCommunity Fort Mac will provide the basis for multiple service providers to offer gigabit-speed broadband.
“We are thrilled to see this investment at Fort Mac and the surrounding community,” Councilmember Joyce Sheperd said in a press release. “The community is excited about the Fort McPherson redevelopment and a fiber network that will help bridge the digital divide on the south side of Atlanta.”
The press release says that A2D is the largest minority-owned telco in the United States. Construction is slated to begin in the first quarter.
Previous Project
A2D said last April that it had begun work on another open access network in Warner Robins, Georgia. A2D has a heavy role in that network – including construction, management and maintenance – but will not serve end users directly. A2D Vice President Jerrald Rector told Telecompetitor that it will act as a wholesaler.
Warner Robins is about 100 miles southeast of Atlanta. A2D had committed to connecting all municipal facilities in the city by last September.
