Local investment, federal help bring high-speed internet to Rocky Mount

The construction of a fiber internet network is the largest infrastructure project planned in Rocky Mount in decades.

Metronet has promised a major boost to high-speed broadband access across the community. The company's research shows one in four Rocky Mount residents does not have internet access.

"We have the opportunity to bring multi-gig service to this community," says Metronet spokesperson Telly Whitfield.

The company announced a $20 million investment in Rocky Mount last year and is set to break ground in the coming months on a network to bring high-speed fiber to homes and businesses throughout the city limits.

"Fiber’s not only the future, fiber’s now," Whitfield said.

Within weeks, Rocky Mount residents will get information about the plan in the mail letting them know when construction will start nearby and how to contact the company.

Metronet will begin to run fiber by March, with 80 percent of the work happening on utility poles.

"We recognize that this going to be a construction project, and construction projects can be messy, but we’re going to do the best we can," Whitfield said.

Work will progress across the city in small zones, a few hundred homes at a time. High-speed broadband will be available to each zone as work is completed. The company estimates it could take about 18 months to cover the entire city.

A federal program provides for up to $30 each month to help families with the cost of broadband.

"We could probably capture, through the Affordable Connectivity Program, at least 5,000 households," Whitfield said.