A Message from Open Broadband concerning COVID-19
Staying connected even when apart
COVID-19 has brought many changes to our communities, affecting the ways we live, work and interact. But throughout these changes, one thing has stayed constant: Our determination to serve you and your internet needs in a safe manner.Working in your community
As one of the many essential services responding to this national emergency, our work continues – even in those areas with stay-at-home ordinances. You may still see some of our field technicians working in and around your neighborhood. Their work is helping to ensure that residential communities, businesses and critical facilities have the internet they need throughout this time.
As a precaution, if you do see our workers, please avoid approaching them and their work areas. If there is a need to speak with them, be aware that they will be maintaining at least 6 feet of separation. We’ll also be keeping this recommended distance anytime direct interaction for essential services is required on customer properties, inside homes and businesses, consistent with CDC and other public health guidelines.
Open Broadband has been working with members of the county’s implementation team and we are moving closer to begin installing our first four main broadcast antennas; the main central antenna tower located at the County 911 Emergency Center on T. Kemp Rd; the county tower on White Level Rd, the county tower on Cone Dr, and the Bible Broadcasting tower in Alert, NC.
Once we have these the antennas installed and tested, we can then begin moving forward with residential and business site surveys and installations to begin in early July 2020.
WE’RE GETTING MORE FIBER IN OUR DIET !
The Franklin County 911 Emergency Center will host the main fiber optic link of our Fixed Wireless broadcast network.
Open Broadband has received approval from the Franklin County Board of Commissioners to begin installation of a one Gigabit fiber optic circuit that will serve as our main feed to the Internet.. This will also serve as our point of signal origin to the other towers previously mentioned to relay our signal down to the local homes and businesses in the area.
We completed the design and received approval to install the free Public Wi-Fi, provided through Open Broadband, in Owens Recreational Park on Massenburg Baker Road in the mid-summer time frame.
We encourage residents and commercial businesses, if you haven’t already, please visit our website https://openbb.net/home-internet/ and enter your name on our Sign-Up List for Franklin County; this way we can be sure to include you in our testing schedule. Currently we have 875 sign-ups on our Wait List.
Also, you can keep up to date on progress by visiting our Blog https://openbb.net/blog/.
Additionally, as we expand, if you or someone you know is interested in working for Open Broadband as a site surveyor and/or installer and being part of this initiative for your community and surrounding areas; interested candidates can view our job postings and apply via our website careers page: https://careers.openbb.net
In Granville County we implemented a pilot project at the Granville County Expo & Convention Center in Oxford.
Open Broadband is providing public Wi-Fi within the facility for all users that attend privately held functions as well as providing service during county meetings. This facility also serves as a hub or distribution point for nearby homeowners to subscribe to our service.
Open Broadband continues to communicate with the county implementation team and to develop plans for the broadcast antenna locations and a roll out schedule similar to what we have done with the other counties we provide service to.The expected time frame for installing broadcast antennas is in the late summer early fall time frame. We will post our progress in this monthly newsletter and through the county website and social media outlets as things progress. https://openbb.net/blog/.
We currently have 690 sign-ups on our wait list, so if you have neighbors or relatives that haven’t signed up, please encourage them to visit our website https://openbb.net/home-internet/ to have them enter their name on our Sign-Up List for Granville County; this way we can be sure to include them in our testing schedule.
As we begin and start to expand, we will be looking to hire local people to assist us in providing site surveys and installation services. Interested candidates can view our job postings and apply via our website careers page: https://careers.openbb.net/
Open Broadband is working very closely with the county to provide free Public Wi-Fi at the Granville Athletic Park
Open Broadband is getting closer to antenna installation in Vance County. We have had productive meetings with the implementation team, monthly meetings with the County Manager and working on an upcoming presentation to the Chamber of Commerce.
We have signed agreements and site inspections scheduled in May for these locations to install broadcast antennas on the water towers at the Morgan Rd & Hwy 39, Williamsboro and Kittrell. The Kittrell water tower is scheduled for a full refurbishment later this year and will not be connected until that work has been completed.
We are still on schedule to begin broadcast antenna installation in mid-summer time frame Stay tuned !… we’ll be out there soon.
We will post our progress in this monthly newsletter and through the county website and social media outlets as things progress. https://openbb.net/blog/.
We currently have 331 sign-ups on our wait list, so if you have neighbors or relatives that haven’t signed up, please encourage them to visit our website https://openbb.net/home-internet/ to have them enter their name on our Sign-Up List for Vance County; this way we can be sure to include them in our testing schedule.
As we begin and start to expand, we will be looking to hire local people to assist us in providing site surveys and installation services. Interested candidates can view our job postings and apply via our website careers page: https://careers.openbb.net/
The process to connect residences up are very simple and only requires three steps to get you up and running.
You will be contacted once service is available
Once service is available at your address, we will contact you to schedule a signal test to ensure sufficient wireless signal for broadband.
Once the signal level is confirmed we’ll set up an in-home installation appointment. A team of installers will set up the system, attaching an antenna to the exterior of your house in addition to an interior gateway device.
If we have not contacted you that means service is not available yet. Please be patient and we will contact you when we can schedule your address. We will provide as much advance notice as possible.
If your neighbors have not joined the signup list, encourage them to do so.
As we continue to expand, we are looking to interview candidates for Part Time positions of surveyors and installers. Interested candidates can view our job postings and apply via our website careers page: https://careers.openbb.net/
This is a long journey to build a new network from scratch using fixed-wireless technology in a challenging terrain. We believe everyone deserves access to broadband speeds and our small company is doing our part to fill in gaps where the 50-100 year old large companies have not implemented.
Open Broadband would like to extend our gratitude to all citizens of Franklin, Granville and Vance counties for their patience while we implement this project. We understand the needs and reliance that everyone has for High-Speed Internet and how it affects your daily lives for commerce, work, education, business, pleasure and entertainment. We are here to help bridge that gap in the underserved rural communities. to your area and we look forward to serving many of you in 2020.
