SYLVA, N.C. - March 9, 2007 - Dignitaries, business leaders and community members throughout North Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee gathered today at Harrah's Cherokee Hotel in Cherokee, N.C. to celebrate a historic event: connecting the Tri-State Southern Appalachian region with major metropolitan areas through an ultra-high-speed fiber optic network. The world-class technology will facilitate access to improved and competitive services, introducing the rural area to high-capacity communication services, such as IPTV, movie downloading, medical imaging, real-time distance learning and video security.

This celebration of connectivity in the Tri-State Southern Appalachian region comes on the heels of completion of a seven-year project to connect this mountainous region with the world. The new connectivity bridges businesses, hospitals, 45 school sites in seven rural school districts and ISPs serving individuals through the use of fiber optic technology that is more advanced than what can be found in many major U.S. cities.

"This connectivity will bring economic growth, educational and health care opportunities and much more to this area of the United States," said Sherry McCuller and John Short, managers of BalsamWest FiberNET. "Our area often gets overlooked when it comes to technology because of the rocky terrain and sparse population. But despite the uphill battle, we persevered and are thrilled to celebrate the connection of our region to the rest of the world."

Keynote speaker, Jo Anne Sanford, former chair of the N.C. Utilities Commission, agrees and believes that continuous development of technology is important for North Carolina and the surrounding states.

"In the past, the Research Triangle Park and other tech-savvy companies have helped define central North Carolina as a leader in the technology arena," said Sanford, now a private practice attorney. "Just as RTP helped define the Triangle as a high-tech powerhouse, BalsamWest is leading the way to define the Tri-State area as a frontrunner in education, health care and business through the power of advanced fiber optic technology."