Zito Media Great Grant Project 2023-2025
Project Overview: Zito GREAT Grant in Swain County
Zito Media won the 1st GREAT Grant Award in September of 2022 to serve approximately 1600 unserved and underserved locations in Swain County. All new locations will be served by Fiber-To-The-Home GPON, with a maximum bandwidth of 1000 Mbps downstream by 1000 Mbps upstream. The maps indicate the original grant application areas.
What does GREAT stand for? The Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology (GREAT) Program funds the terrestrial deployment of broadband within unserved areas of economically distressed counties.
Project Stats
- Grant Awarded: $3,979,001
- Award Date: September 2022
- Zito Match: $702,177
- Swain Co. Match: $15,000
- Locations: 1,619 comprised of:
- Households: 1,573
- Businesses: 51
- Contract Signed: April 2023
- Two Year Schedule: Ends April 2025
- Extension Granted: to December 31, 2025
Project Updates
Date: August 27, 2025
Title: How to sign up your home for fiber installation if you are in the Zito GREAT grant project map.
Zito Media has been sending out postcards to homes in the GREAT Grant deployment map coverage area. Fiber is installed in your area, but in order to run it to your home or business, you must officially sign up and let Zito Media do that install. Installation is free, per Zito Media.
Fill out this Zito Media form to give Zito Media permission to do this free fiber drop to your home.
Date: May 27, 2025
Title: Zito Media Update Report from Project Manager Dean Russell
The Great Grant has been 68 percent constructed. The fiber splicer has been working in the Whittier area. The install crews have been doing 5 fiber installations in Bryson areas everyday. Some of those are converting existing customers to fiber and the others are in the Grant pockets. There are a total of 398 homes in Bryson/Swain area that now have Fiber to their homes.
Date: May 7, 2024
Title: Zito Media Progress Report form for the period 1/1/202-3/31/2024
Overview: Acquiring the remaining Rights-of-Way is currently in process. Permits are being submitted to NC DOT as needed. 41 permit applications have been reviewed by Duke Energy and make ready work is in process. Zito reports they are currently on schedule based on the timeline submitted for this project. The report details where construction has started on fiber installation. Zito is in discussions with EBCI over some contract areas that are on tribal lands and have been halted until resolved.
Date: January 10, 2024
Title: Zito Media Progress Report form for the period 10/1/2023-12/31/2023
Overview: All design and engineering is done. All materials are ordered, most have arrived. No supply issues encountered. All Pole permit applications have been submitted to Duke Energy. The contracted crew has started hanging fiber on poles.