The image below shows GTC Fiber Broadband coverage expansion from October 2023 to December 2025

Wheeler County Broadband Capital Project Funds 

• Objective: To deploy a Gigabit XGS-PON network across Wheeler County.
• Funding: Financed by the State of Georgia Capital Grants Fund, with a budget of $5,351,435.10.
• Coverage: The project now covers 923 eligible locations in Wheeler County.
• Timeline: Construction began in late 2023, with project completion expected before October 2026.

Wheeler County CPF Broadband Project Timeline

A Milestone Overview of the Capital Projects Fund Expansion

In January 2023, the State of Georgia took a major step toward expanding broadband access in rural South Georgia by awarding Glenwood Telephone Company $4,864,941 through the Capital Projects Fund (CPF) Broadband Program administered by Governor Brian Kemp’s Office of Planning and Budget.

The grant launched a multi-year effort to expand fiber optic broadband infrastructure across Wheeler County, helping bring high-speed internet access to underserved homes and businesses throughout the region.

At the time of the original award, the project was designed to serve 608 eligible locations throughout Wheeler County. Over the course of the project, the scope evolved significantly, ultimately resulting in the construction of approximately 173 miles of 100% buried fiber infrastructure across some of the county’s most rural and underserved areas.

Project Timeline

January 4, 2023

Governor Kemp’s Office of Planning and Budget officially awarded Glenwood Telephone Company $4,864,941.00 in CPF grant funding for broadband expansion in Wheeler County. The original project scope targeted 608 eligible locations.

February 17, 2023

GTC signed the initial Capital Projects Fund Terms and Conditions, formally beginning the project implementation process.

April 10, 2023

A Request for Proposals (RFP) for engineering services was published in the Vidalia Advance, with proposals due by April 28, 2023.

May 24, 2023

Updated guidance was issued for the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) Broadband and CPF Treasury programs, impacting grant administration and compliance requirements.

May 30, 2023

GTC awarded the engineering portion of the project to Palmetto Engineering.

July 17, 2023

Amended Terms and Conditions for the CPF program were signed as project requirements evolved.

August 23, 2023

The formal engineering contract with Palmetto Engineering was executed, allowing route design and project engineering to move forward.

Expansion of Project Scope

December 18, 2023

The project’s eligible location count was adjusted from the original 608 locations to 1,127 locations, significantly expanding the planned broadband deployment footprint throughout Wheeler County.

January 2, 2024

A formal scope change reflecting the expansion to 1,127 eligible locations was signed, representing one of the largest milestones of the project and broadening the number of homes and businesses expected to receive access to fiber broadband infrastructure.

Construction Phase Begins

January 23, 2024

An RFP for construction contractors was published in the Vidalia Advance, with responses due by January 31, 2024.

February 7, 2024

GTC selected Jim Young Construction to construct the Wheeler County CPF Broadband Project.

February 20, 2024

The first 811 Large Project Meeting was held for the initial CPF construction route in Wheeler County, marking the beginning of utility coordination and underground construction planning.

Continued Project Refinement

December 18, 2024

A scope change was signed reducing the eligible location count to 890 locations as engineering validation, broadband mapping updates, and field verification efforts refined the final project footprint.

August 19, 2025

The project scope was revised again, adjusting the eligible location count to 925 locations as additional analysis and deployment planning continued.

March 20, 2026

A subsequent scope adjustment revised the project to 923 eligible locations, reflecting continued refinement of serviceability determinations and final deployment planning.

173 Miles of 100% Buried Fiber Infrastructure

By the conclusion of the project, approximately 173 miles of 100% buried fiber optic infrastructure had been constructed throughout Wheeler County. The fully underground design was chosen to improve long-term reliability and resiliency for rural customers by reducing exposure to storms, falling trees, and weather-related outages common in South Georgia.

The scale of the build highlights both the ambition and complexity of delivering broadband service in a deeply rural environment.

The project required:

• Extensive underground fiber construction

• Utility coordination and 811 project management

• Railroad and highway crossing coordination

• Rural route engineering and permitting

• Long-distance deployment to reach sparsely populated areas

For a county with low population density, constructing 173 miles of buried fiber represented a substantial infrastructure investment designed to serve communities that historically lacked access to modern broadband services.

Building Broadband for the Future

The Wheeler County CPF Broadband Project represents a major investment in rural infrastructure and long-term economic development. Once completed, the fiber network is expected to provide residents with access to reliable, high-speed broadband capable of supporting:

• Remote work

• Telehealth services

• Online education

• Streaming and entertainment

• Precision agriculture

• Small business growth

• Future multi-gigabit applications

The project also highlights the complexity of rural broadband deployment, including engineering, permitting, right-of-way coordination, utility locating, and underground construction across a sparsely populated service area.

Through the CPF initiative, Glenwood Telephone Company continues its mission of expanding modern communications infrastructure throughout rural South Georgia while helping ensure that communities like Wheeler County remain connected for generations to come.