SGRITA: Schools are connected, wide-area wireless coming soon

The South Georgia Regional Information Technology Authority — SGRITA — has completed Phase I in the deployment of a wireless broadband network to service Baker, Calhoun, Early, Miller and Mitchell Counties.

Phase I consisted of installing radio frequency equipment on 17 towers to support a 180 mile carriergrade wireless broadband backbone loop that transmits data at rates of up to 340 megabit.

Phase I also included the connection of area schools allowing them to experience true high speed internet connectivity for the first time.

Nine of the 12 schools within SGRITA's service area are now on the network. Participating schools now have an eight to 20 fold increase in their data transmission rates.

Miller County School Technology Director Jeff Hatcher noted, "With SGRITA, our worldwide ranking for internet connection speed has gone from the bottom eight percent to the top one percent fastest internet connection in the world!"

Preparations for Phase II of network deployment are now underway. The goal of Phase II is to provide 95 percent signal saturation over the nearly 2,000 square miles of the five-county area.

SGRITA will determine the best equipment for maximum coverage to be mounted on the 17 backbone towers to extend internet service — via additional relay towers — to farms, businesses and residences.

SGRITA expects to be providing fixed wireless service to customers by the second quarter of 2009. To receive notice when it is ready in your area, go to www.sgrita.org and complete the request info page to register your location.

SGRITA is a locally created multi-county public authority formed to bring broadband internet connectivity to rural South Georgia.

Funding for SGRITA includes a $2.7 million OneGeorgia BRIDGE grant, a $1 million match by the Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District and direct and in kind contributions by each of the five participating counties.

In addition, Georgia's Agriculture Innovation Center, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, the University of Georgia and The Nature Conservancy contributed time and resources to the project.

Because of these partners, a great group of vendors and technical consultants, and a lot of hard work by the SGRITA team, this project is on schedule, on budget and ready to serve the 5 county area.

Governor Perdue stated, "I applaud the leadership of the South Georgia Regional Information Technology Authority in completing Phase I successfully. In today's global economy, I consider access to high speed broadband the infrastructure of the 21st century with enormous applications in the areas of education, healthcare, public safety and economic development."