Wiring Western North Carolina for Wi-Fi
In 2015, PANGAEA, a non-profit internet service provider serving Polk and Rutherford Counties in western North Carolina, received ARC support to install Wi-Fi hotspots in Lake Lure, Chimney Rock Village, and Saluda-- three rural towns heavily dependent on tourism, but where internet access was unreliable. In the project’s first year, PANGAEA was able to connect two additional communities, Columbus and Harmon Field in Tyron, with hotspots, creating 57 Wi-Fi access points in total. By the end of 2016, there were 146,000 users, far out pacing PANGEA’s original estimates of 18,000 users. Now, more than 600,000 users have accessed the network. In 2017, PANGAEA completed a network upgrade to double the supply of internet bandwidth to meet the demands of a fast-growing customer base. This broadband expansion continues to help businesses in the Region thrive and grow, which in turn strengthens the local economy. According to North Carolina’s Broadband Infrastructure Office, Wi-Fi access can “develop, attract, retain and expand job-creating businesses and institutions” and “improves the productivity and profitability of large, small and home-based businesses and allows them to compete in local, national and global markets.”
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