DILLSBORO, NC - BalsamWest FiberNET today announced an agreement with the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad to speed construction of a portion of its fiber-optic telecommunications network in Jackson, Swain, Graham, and Cherokee Counties. BalsamWest will deploy its network along the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad from Dillsboro to Andrews. Cities that will benefit from this innovative use of the railbed include Dillsboro, Sylva, Cherokee, Bryson City, Robbinsville, Andrews, and others.

Jon Schlegel, Vice President and General Manager of the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad said, "We are pleased to be partnering with BalsamWest on this exciting initiative to bring high speed telecommunications to the region." "We can think of no better way to support the communities in which we operate."

The Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians recently appropriated funding to construct the portion of the railbed-deployed backbone segment from Dillsboro to Bryson City. The Eastern Band is also providing funding for BalsamWest for an interconnecting municipal ring to connect the Qualla Boundary area to the backbone fiber when it reaches the entrance to the Reservation.

"BalsamWest's fiber ring strategically positions the six counties West of the Balsam Mountains as a virtual 'near-shore' site location," said David Hubbs, Director of Drake Enterprises' Dnet Internet Services. "This network will decrease costs, improve reliability, strengthen economic redevelopment efforts, and increase availability of government, education, healthcare and cultural resources to the region."

Southwestern Community College President, Cecil Groves said that, "the BalsamWest network will ensure that the region can participate fully in a global economy and will give the region the tools it needs to educate and train the workforce of the future, support advances in health care, improve the ability of local businesses to succeed, and create opportunities to generate good jobs for the future." Southwestern Community College is a BalsamWest Community Interest Partner.

"BalsamWest is helping this area of North Carolina trade the outdated perception that we are a disadvantaged, isolated rural outpost with a new reality," said Al Harper, owner of the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. "Western North Carolinians will now have all of the advantages of virtually unlimited, real-time connectivity to major trade and cultural centers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee - with none of the disadvantages of urban living." "This is a great place to live, and BalsamWest is helping to put it on the map for economic recruitment and capital investment."