"Clear Cloud" Over Milledgeville

In September 2006, the City of Milledgeville was awarded an $862,500 grant from the Georgia Technology Authority to establish a citywide wireless Internet service. Milledgeville was one of only six cities in the state of Georgia to receive this grant under Governor Sonny Perdue’s Wireless Communities Georgia initiative, introduced in 2006. According to the WCG, “high-speed Internet access has become essential for communities to attract business and industry and compete in today’s global economy.” City officials believe that residents having access to a Wi-Fi network will increase the city’s economic development, educational access and governmental services.

The Georgia Technology Authority and the City of Milledgeville have partnered with Clearwire, an Internet Service Provider whose name has been shortened to Clear, to provide 17 square miles of wireless signal. In addition to having unlimited access to Milledgeville’s signal, subscribers will also be able to use their Clear accounts in any of the 46 Clear markets, including the nearby cities of Dublin and Atlanta.

To ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to receive the service, the city has partnered with One Community and the Knight Foundation to provide several different package options, including discounted subscriptions for students and low-to-moderate income families. To receive a Clear subscription at a lower price, residents must go through an application process that will be available by late March. These applications can be found at several different entities throughout Milledgeville, including Digital Bridges and Mary Vinson Memorial Library.

The process has been a long and tedious one. However, the city is excited about coming together to provide this beneficial opportunity to the residents of Milledgeville. The “Clear Cloud” has the capability of changing the City of Milledgeville into a new and improved city with endless possibilities.