BALDWIN COUNTY, Ga. — More people in Baldwin County are getting access to high-speed internet soon.
13WMAZ watched crews working on the system and spoke to people in Baldwin about what it will mean.
Marilynn Skinner of Baldwin County works from home, so access to high-speed internet is a necessity.
"All of our meetings are online and there's video involved, so you run into glitches, and it's kind of embarrassing to get kicked off and have to come back in and miss something," Skinner said.
She has two internet modems, but it's still not enough.
"If I have to upload a file or something like that or download a file, it doesn't go very smoothly. I sit there and watch it spin," Skinner said.
Michael Bovard also uses Windstream in Baldwin County.
He says they're not the only ones have problems connecting.
Bovard said, "It would be great if we could get the entire community to be online and connected."
According to Baldwin County Manager Carlos Tobar, more than 15,000 Baldwin County residents currently have access to high-speed internet, leaving more than 4,000 unserved.
"I ask that the public be patient, construction is underway," Tobar said.
A construction crew of five added new new fiber optic cables Tuesday. Eventually, they'll be providing high-speed internet throughout the Tri-County EMC area, including Baldwin County.
"I am hoping it will revolutionize connectivity for this county. There is so many people that need access, whether it's for school or online shopping," Bovard said.
"I am just really excited to see Tri-County. I am really hoping to see that I'll get that 100 megabits per second, so I can really do what I am supposed to do and do it efficiently," Skinner said.
Over the next two years, about 3,400 more Baldwin County residents will have access because of Tri-County EMC construction.
The county is trying to partner with a private company to get to the remaining 786 households up to speed.
Governor Brian Kemp set aside $30 million in state money this year to expand broad and connectivity in rural Georgia.
The FCC's rural digital opportunity fund set aside more than $320 million for Georgia over the next two years.
22,000 homes and businesses in the Tri-County EMC Territory will be eligible for internet service once construction is finished.