Georgia DOT announced this week that the State Transportation Board has selected Plenary Broadband Infrastructure (PBI) as the state’s Operations, Maintenance and Commercialization (OMC) partner for a statewide broadband project. The firm will install 1,400 miles of fiber-optic cable and supporting technology along Georgia interstates. Although a portion of the broadband capacity thus created will be reserved for GDOT traffic operations, the excess capacity will become commercially available to “provide faster, more reliable broadband access for communities, households and businesses in 70 Georgia counties.” Under the state’s agreement with PBI, the company will maintain the broadband infrastructure dedicated to GDOT’s use and also operate, maintain, and commercialize the additional capacity. PBI will provide payments to Georgia DOT based on the revenue generated from commercialization. of the network.
Georgia DOT Commissioner Russell McMurry commented, “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. 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.” McMurry added that the PBI partnership “is an innovative approach to project delivery and financing that leverages the private sector to meet the state’s transportation and broadband infrastructure needs.”
GDOT staff made an informative presentation about the broadband project and the vendor selection process during the November 20 meeting of the transportation board’s P3 committee (see slides 53-68). PBI’s selection was approved at the transportation board’s November 21 meeting (see presentation slides 52-58).
PBI is engaged in similar projects in partnership with the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and north Carolina DOT.