| CHEROKEE
- The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians will
spend $1.9 million to link Cherokee with Dillsboro,
Sylva and Bryson City as part of a project to bring
high-speed Internet access to six Western North
Carolina counties.
The network's partners say the project will help
businesses, governments, health care providers,
and schools access high-quality communications
at a rate comparable with urban areas.
"It will help rural areas be on the same
playing field," said Principal Chief Michell
Hicks. "We do feel that that the pay back
will be significant over time."
The tribe approved the funding as part of a public-private
group called Balsam West FiberNET. The group's
two other partners are Southwestern Community
College and Drake Enterprises, a private software
company in Franklin that handles $4.5 million
annually in electronic tax filings for accounting
firms and some state agencies. |
