FORT VALLEY, Ga. — Over the years, many Peach County residents have shared a common complaint-- internet.
Fort Valley State University received a grant that could help solve some of those problems and much more.
In the age where most people rely on the internet, connection speed and strength matters.
"I would say it’s a hit or miss. Some days it works, some days it just not there,” Kalil Abbott said about internet speeds.
Abbott says as a Fort Valley student who relies on the 'net' and working in downtown Fort Valley, slow speeds stifle the hustle.
"I run a podcast studio in the back, I also have a recording studio in the back so sometimes getting some of those bigger downloads, it can be a struggle. It can take a few hours or even a day or two," he said.
But there's more to helping people solve their internet issues than providing strong signals. Terrence Wolfork says it’s about expanding knowledge.
"We're teaching people about digital literacy, digital accessibility and we've been doing that for at least 20 years already,” Wolfork said.
Fort Valley State University was awarded a nearly $3 million grant to fund 'communi-versity’.
It's a pilot program that allows more people to receive and know about broadband--something the university's students will help teach.
After accessing needs, forming a board, and recruiting students, they will then tackle another issue-- affordability.
"One of the ways that we're going to address that is we're going to provide low-cost computers plus hotspots and we will loan those out,” Wolfork said.
Wolfork says they have the grant, but the work done with it and after it will have lasting effects.
"We're not just here just for the grant period, we're here to make sure this is it for the long run,” he said.
The project will begin looking for board members in the next month or so followed by students training in the summer.
Wolfork says the project should roll out by the fall.
He says at some point they will have satellite vans to help people with connections for things like job applications.