{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/6112c6ffaae63d001577f9d8/62f3c67c7f77c400141ded67?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"The Divide: How a co-op is solving 'the broadband problem' in rural Georgia","thumbnail_width":200,"thumbnail_height":200,"thumbnail_url":"https://open-images.acast.com/shows/6112c6ffaae63d001577f9d8/1660143132957-12b8fb55e2785f2aed25702e3b252a1d.jpeg?height=200","description":"<p>On this episode, we're joined by Jonathan Chambers, a partner with&nbsp;<a href=\"https://conexon.us/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Conexon</a>; and Herschel Arant, senior vice president of energy supply and external services at&nbsp;<a href=\"https://www.cgemc.com/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Central Georgia EMC</a>, a rural electric cooperative serving parts of 14 counties in central Georgia. We discuss their partnership to build out a fiber broadband network to an unserved region of the state and how their collaboration led to the creation of Conexon's ISP arm,&nbsp;<a href=\"https://conexonconnect.com/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Connect</a>. We also get into why electric cooperatives are especially well placed to close the digital divide in the rural US and Chambers' view that they should receive the bulk of federal broadband funding.</p><p><br></p><p>Read an unedited episode transcript <a href=\"https://www.dropbox.com/home/Podcast%20transcripts?preview=The+Divide_Conexon+and+Central+Georgia+EMC_Ep+66+transcript.pdf\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">here</a>.</p>","author_name":"Light Reading"}