Washoe County invites the public to a ribbon-cutting at the Gerlach Library to celebrate the installation of broadband service in the rural community.
Fast wi fi internet connection vector logo on white background
Also commemorating the event will be representatives from the Nevada Governor’s Office of Science, Innovation and Technology (OSIT), and the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe. The ribbon-cutting
will be at 12:30 p.m. at the library, followed by a lunch celebration at the Gerlach Community Center.
The project officially kicked off in August of last year, and despite supply chain and labor challenges during this period, it has been completed on schedule. Digital equity has been a key focus for County Manager Eric Brown who, working with Washoe County CIO, Behzad Zamanian and his team, launched an initiative to identify resources to expand high-speed internet to rural Washoe County communities. Collaborating with the OSIT, Washoe County Libraries, and the Paiute Tribe, Washoe County was able to make use of E-Rate, FCC, and state funding to bring broadband to Gerlach.
“This project would not have been possible without the assistance of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, which agreed to share access to their broadband facilities, which significantly reduced the cost and amount of construction required to complete the project. As a result, the Gerlach community will soon be able to access online resources that many of us take for granted,” Brown said. “This opens the door to telemedicine, e-commerce, educational opportunities, and even remote employment opportunities that require a high-speed internet connection.”
Washoe County plans to continue pursuing broadband solutions for rural areas of the county such as the North Valleys, Warm Springs/Palomino Valley and portions of Washoe Valley.
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