Earlier this year, the Lawrence County Commissioners announced a portion of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds were awarded to RTC Communications to expand fiber internet services to areas of western Lawrence County. After completion of engineering, mapping, and build plans, RTC Communications is initiating the build stage and is having a ground-breaking ceremony on October 24 at 2:00 p.m. at the Williams Community Center in Williams, Indiana. All area residents are invited to stop and talk with representatives of RTC Communications.
Kirk Lehman, CEO for RTC Communications, stated earlier, “The need for broadband fiber continues to be a necessity in our rural communities, and RTC Communications is making it a mission to ensure our Southern Indiana communities continue to receive these world class services. We were honored to be awarded nearly 1 million dollars from Lawrence County and look forward to providing services that are second to none, but it is only a portion of what it will take to reach all homes and businesses with fiber internet. RTC Communications will need to financially contribute equally to these ARPA funds to reach everyone who needs access to fiber internet. RTC’s brand of internet, called Intelecyn™, is offered at speeds up to 1 gig with symmetrical uploads and downloads and will change lives with each connection.”
The fiber-to-the-home or business network expansion will branch from the existing RTC Communications’ service region in the Williams area and continue east to provide service to hundreds of homes and businesses in the western section of Lawrence County. RTC Communications has been providing phone and internet services for many years in the western Lawrence County area and is a telecommunication cooperative managed by a member-elected board that began in southern Indiana in 1949.
Long-time RTC Communications Board President and Lawrence County resident Dave Redman stated, “Lawrence County is home for me, and to see broadband being brought to this underserved area not only brings me joy but know that it is just the start for us at RTC. Our plans to seek and service those who need our services is our priority.”
RTC Communications is contracting with a Lawrence County based construction company, Lineal Contracting Inc., who is an experienced construction crew in building fiber internet projects. The construction phase of the fiber expansion is expected to take approximately 8 months. “As both RTC Communications and Lineal Contracting, Inc have employees that reside in Lawrence County, and both companies do business in Lawrence County, the use of the ARPA funds with these companies and the expansion of business opportunities for Lawrence County was a great way to keep funds in this area and make sure the dollars continue to circulate locally,” stated Kirk Lehman. “This is a great win-win for the Lawrence County residents and businesses.”
For those in the western area of Lawrence County, you will soon see more Lineal Contracting vehicles as well as RTC Communications construction vehicles. Any residents in the areas with questions or comments can call 812-486-3211 to discuss eligibility or to be added to lists so that residents can be brought on to the network as individual neighborhoods, or fiberhoods, are opened. Maps will also be updated on the RTC Communications website (rtccom.com) to show fiberhoods as well.
RTC Communications provides internet, residential telephone services, and communications systems with its cloud-based business-class system. Founded in 1949, as a member-owned cooperative, the direction and operation of the organization are driven by its members through an elected Board of Directors. RTC Communications currently services customers in areas of Daviess, Martin, Lawrence, and Kox Counties in Indiana.
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