Struggling with rates of poverty, unemployment, high-school dropouts, disability, and persons lacking healthcare more acute than the national averages, Rabun County, Georgia would benefit greatly from the kind of enhanced services made possible by high-speed broadband access. The county’s challenging terrain makes it difficult to deploy broadband services to many households and businesses. Professional Resources Management of Rabun proposes to deploy two public computer centers in Rabun County to improve workforce development, education, and healthcare services.

Project partner North Georgia Technical College will offer online courses to users at each computer center in multiple disciplines, including accounting, automotive maintenance, business management, health sciences, and other skilled trades. The computer center at the Mountain Lakes medical facility plans to offer classes in health education to the public, while launching a telehealth initiative via videoconferencing to allow healthcare providers to interact and share information with peers statewide.