AASHTO Journal - Georgia DOT Preps for Statewide Broadband Initiative

The State Transportation Board of Georgia recently selected Plenary Broadband Infrastructure or PBI to be the operations, maintenance, and commercialization partner for a statewide broadband project spearheaded by the Georgia Department of Transportation.

[Above photo by Georgia DOT]

That project aims to install 1,400 miles of broadband infrastructure along all interstates in Georgia. When completed, a portion of that broadband infrastructure will be dedicated to Georgia DOT’s traffic operations, with additional capacity reserved to provide faster, more reliable commercial broadband access for communities, households, and businesses in 70 counties statewide.

“Expanding broadband access throughout Georgia is critical to bridging the digital divide, ensuring that rural and underserved communities can access essential online services for education, healthcare, and economic opportunities,” said Russell McMurry, Georgia DOT’s commissioner, in a statement.

“This expansion also brings with it the added benefit of modernizing our transportation infrastructure, enabling innovations like connected vehicles and smart traffic systems to improve safety and efficiency,” added McMurry, who was recently elected the 2024-2025 vice president of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

[Editor’s note: A knowledge session at the AASHTO 2022 Annual Meeting in Orlando delved into the “big role” state departments of transportation are poised to play in the ongoing nationwide deployment of broadband internet service – especially in rural parts of the country.]

Under the agreement, PBI will maintain the broadband network infrastructure dedicated to Georgia DOT’s traffic operations and will also operate, maintain, and commercialize the broadband network dedicated for commercial use. Additionally, PBI will provide payments to Georgia DOT based on the revenue generated from the commercialization of the network.

“This is an innovative approach to project delivery and financing that leverages the private sector to meet the state’s transportation and broadband infrastructure needs,” noted McMurry.
Other state DOTs have also stepped up efforts this year to broaden support for various broadband initiatives.

In May, the Arizona Department of Transportation, the Arizona Commerce Authority, and Nebraska-based eX2 Technology formed a public-private partnership to significantly expand broadband internet access in rural areas of Arizona.

The 25-year agreement called on eX2 Technology to operate, maintain, and lease space in fiber-optic conduit installed along I-17 and I-19; installing similar conduit along much of I-40 by the end of 2024.

Additionally, in January, the Colorado Transportation Commission approved a lower fee schedule for access to roadway rights-of-way maintained by the Colorado Department of Transportation to expand the ability of third parties to install fiber optic cable for broadband access and service statewide.

This adopted fee schedule, more than 90 percent lower than the version initially proposed, makes Colorado DOT property available for broadband development in accordance with the 2022 Executive Order of Governor Jared Polis (D) so residents can access high-speed internet in every corner of the state.