| The Cherokee Tribal
Council pledged $2.5 million last month toward the
construction and operation of a fiber optic cable
network on tribal land, making Cherokee the first
government entity in the region to invest funds
in the high-tech infrastructure.
The fiber optic network will allow businesses
to tap into high-speed, high-capacity Internet
service, a tool that has been heralded as vital
for the new economy. The lack of fiber optic infrastructure
in Western North Carolina is one reason cited
for the region’s inability to attract high-tech
jobs and compete with areas like Charlotte and
the Research Triangle Park.
The Cherokee Tribal Council unanimously approved
funding for the project, which includes $1.95
million for construction of the network and $508,000
for first-year of operations. Construction of
the network is set to begin soon with parts of
the network in place by early spring. |
