A2D Sets Path to Bring Digital Equity to Georgia’s Clayton County

Georgia’s Clayton County, a growing community that includes Hartsfield Airport, has been ignored by large providers that have not upgraded their broadband facilities to support higher speeds necessary for remote work and learning. This leaves many residents, many of whom are low- or middle-income, with slow-speed DSL or cable connections. The lack of broadband facilities is just one problem for the county. The new federal funding from the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program is targeted to bridge broadband in rural areas – something Clayton County is not. Keith Quarles Jr., CFO of African American-owned open-access competitive local exchange carrier A2D, says urban markets such as Clayton County should be included in the BEAD funding equation. "Our view is that this type of market would get missed in what’s coming down the line [in terms of] all the federal funding,” he says. “Everything will be designated as unserved and underserved based on the [Federal Communications Commission] maps.” By that measure, Clayton County will be left out. However, A2D, through its open-access fiber platform eCommunity™, ensures every home and business can access a fiber network that all providers can use to offer services and compete. Besides providing new internet options, eCommunity enables government agencies and nonprofit organizations to provide digital programs and resources directly to households otherwise unable to afford broadband internet access.