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Internet Access in Georgia (Country) vs Georgia (U.S. State): Infrastructure, Coverage, Providers & Digital Divide

Internet Access in Georgia (Country) vs Georgia (U.S. State): Infrastructure, Coverage, Providers & Digital Divide

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Internet Access in Georgia (Country) vs Georgia (U.S. State): Infrastructure, Coverage, Providers & Digital Divide

Georgia – a name shared by both a country at the crossroads of Europe and Asia and a state in the southeastern United States – presents two distinct stories of internet access. This report provides a comprehensive look at internet infrastructure, availability, providers, pricing, speeds, adoption, and government initiatives in each region. We also examine the emergence of satellite internet (e.g. Starlink) and the challenges faced by underserved communities in rural and low-income areas. Despite their different contexts, both Georgias are striving to expand connectivity and bridge digital divides.

Internet Access in Georgia (Country)

Overview: The country of Georgia has made remarkable progress in the last two decades, evolving from its first DSL connections in 2002 to a leader in fiber-optic broadband penetration in its region investor.ge investor.ge. As of 2020, fiber has become the dominant fixed-line technology, and a majority of Georgians are regular internet users investor.ge. However, rural and remote areas still lag behind urban centers, and efforts are ongoing to extend high-speed access nationwide.

Infrastructure and Broadband Technologies

Georgia’s internet backbone is built on modern fiber-optic infrastructure. Fiber to the Home/Premises (FTTH) connections are now the standard in cities, accounting for over 82% of all fixed internet connections by the end of 2019 investor.ge investor.ge. The country’s primary fiber links land at the Black Sea port of Poti, connecting to international submarine cables that link Georgia to Europe (via Bulgaria) and to Russia investor.ge investor.ge. From Poti, a terrestrial fiber trunk runs along rail lines to the capital, Tbilisi, forming the national internet backbone and interconnecting with neighboring Armenia and Azerbaijan investor.ge. This robust infrastructure and Georgia’s strategic location make it a potential regional internet transit hub between Europe and Asia investor.ge.

  • Fiber-Optic: Fiber is the “gold standard” and most common broadband technology in Georgia’s cities investor.ge investor.ge. Between 2010 and 2019, fiber subscriptions skyrocketed from about 64,000 to over 712,000, while older copper DSL lines plummeted from ~130,000 to under 37,000 investor.ge. By December 2019, there were 758,680 fiber connections vs only 41,345 DSL connections remaining investor.ge investor.ge – a clear indicator that telcos have aggressively upgraded networks to fiber. Fiber deployment is easiest in dense urban areas (Tbilisi, Batumi, Kutaisi, etc.), but some older city neighborhoods still rely on DSL due to the cost and effort of rewiring old buildings investor.ge investor.ge. Even in those cases, DSL is disappearing fast, with roughly 1,000 DSL lines being replaced by fiber each month as of 2019 investor.ge.
  • Cable and DSL: Unlike many Western countries, coaxial cable broadband is not widespread in Georgia – the transition jumped directly from DSL to fiber in most areas. Traditional DSL (copper telephone lines) now represents a very small and declining share of connections (under 5% by 2019) investor.ge.
  • Fixed Wireless: Wireless broadband (often delivered via Wi-Fi or local radio links) remains a notable part of the mix, especially in areas where running fiber is challenging. As of late 2019, fixed wireless connections made up about 10% of broadband subscriptions (~95,000 connections) investor.ge. This number had held relatively steady for a few years, suggesting that even as fiber expands, wireless ISPs continue to serve remote villages and difficult terrains investor.ge.
  • Mobile Broadband: Mobile internet is ubiquitous. 3G and 4G/LTE networks cover essentially the entire populated territory, and mobile data usage has surged. By 2022, Georgia had 110 mobile broadband subscriptions per 100 people freedomhouse.org – indicating many users carry multiple SIMs or devices. All three mobile operators offer 4G, and the government expected 99% 4G population coverage by 2025 freedomhouse.org. In mid-2023, the first steps toward 5G were underway: the regulator auctioned 5G spectrum, with Cellfie (formerly Beeline) emerging as the first licensee freedomhouse.org. Though 5G roll-out is just beginning (pilots in at least 3 municipalities planned by 2025), it’s seen as a future complement for urban areas investor.ge.

International Bandwidth & Routing: Georgia’s external connectivity is robust for a country its size. Multiple submarine and overland cables provide redundancy. A new Black Sea fiber cable to Romania has been proposed to further improve resilience and reduce dependence on routes through Russia or other neighbors investor.ge investor.ge. One gap in the infrastructure is the lack of a domestic Internet Exchange Point (IXP) for local traffic peering – meaning Georgian ISPs often exchange traffic outside the country, adding latency and cost investor.ge. Industry advocates have pushed for a local IXP since 2016, noting that most peer countries (Armenia, Turkey, Kazakhstan, etc.) already have one investor.ge investor.ge. Progress on this front has been slow, but it remains a target for future improvement.

Availability and Urban–Rural Coverage

Georgia enjoys high internet availability in its cities and towns, but coverage drops in some rural and mountainous regions. In the major cities (Tbilisi, Batumi, Kutaisi, etc.), virtually every household can access fixed broadband – in fact, some city districts report over 100% penetration if counting business lines, meaning broadband is essentially universal for urban dwellers investor.ge. If you live in a city, chances are very high you have access to a fast fixed connection investor.ge.

In contrast, remote rural areas face coverage gaps. Nationally, about 89% of households had internet access by mid-2023 freedomhouse.org, but this average hides disparities. A 2019 mapping showed most regions at 40–70% household internet penetration, with a few remote provinces like Guria (~33%) and Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti (only ~15%) much lower investor.ge. Drilling down further, certain isolated districts had just 5–15% of households connected investor.ge. These tend to be sparsely populated mountain villages where laying fiber or even DSL is not economically viable, and the population is often dwindling (young people move away, partly due to lack of connectivity) investor.ge.

To illustrate the situation, the map of connections vs households in Georgia shows broad coverage in most regions (light green shades for moderate penetration), but pockets of dark spots in the high Caucasus mountains with minimal connectivity investor.ge. Rural families in these areas sometimes have no option for wired internet – a stark contrast to the well-wired cities.

Community and Nonprofit Initiatives: Because commercial ISPs find it hard to justify network build-out in tiny villages, NGOs and community networks have stepped in. One example is the Tusheti Community Internet project and similar efforts supported by the Internet Society and local telecom associations investor.ge. These projects deployed wireless links to connect dozens of villages in rugged regions (e.g. 76 villages across Khevsureti, Pshavi, and Gudamakari valleys) at relatively low cost investor.ge. They demonstrate that creative solutions – often led by nonprofits or local communities – can bring internet to places traditional business models overlook. However, such efforts only reach a fraction of the underserved, and rely on external grants and volunteer energy investor.ge. Scaling connectivity to all remote hamlets will likely require either significant public investment or new technologies like satellites or 5G fixed wireless.

Key Internet Service Providers and Market Share

Georgia’s telecom market is competitive, but a couple of large players dominate. There are 150+ registered ISPs in the country freedomhouse.org, including many small local operators, but two companies control three-quarters of the fixed broadband market freedomhouse.org:

  • MagtiCom: Originally a mobile operator, MagtiCom has expanded into fixed broadband and now is the largest ISP, with about 47.7% of the fixed-line broadband market as of May 2023 freedomhouse.org. Magti offers fiber internet, mobile service, and TV bundles (Magti Home) across most of Georgia. Its network covers both urban and rural areas, and it has aggressively invested in fiber upgrades (often replacing legacy DSL networks). Magti is known for reliable service and wide coverage, making it a default choice for many households.
  • Silknet: The second-largest ISP, Silknet, held roughly 30.9% of the fixed broadband market in 2023 freedomhouse.org. Silknet inherited the infrastructure of the former state telecom (it was formed by privatizing the incumbent operator) and has since modernized extensively. Silknet also acquired Geocell (a mobile carrier) in 2018 freedomhouse.org freedomhouse.org, making it a converged operator offering mobile, fiber internet, IPTV, and telephone services. Silknet’s SILK+ packages bundle home broadband (up to 100 Mbps), TV, and mobile plans, appealing to families who want an all-in-one solution expathub.ge expathub.ge. Along with Magti, Silknet’s fiber network reaches most cities and many towns, and the company participates in rural connectivity projects (including partnering on satellite initiatives as noted later).
  • Other ISPs: The remaining ~20% of the fixed market is split among numerous smaller ISPs. Some notable ones include Caucasus Online (a company that operates the main Caucasus submarine cable and provides retail fiber in Tbilisi), New Net and SkyTel (regional providers), and several local cable TV companies that offer internet in specific towns. While these smaller ISPs collectively provide important competition (and often serve niche areas or businesses), none individually has more than a few percent of market share. The government has taken steps to ensure they can compete – for example, a 2018 regulation requires large fiber operators to lease infrastructure to smaller ISPs at regulated rates freedomhouse.org. This open-access policy is meant to prevent a monopoly and encourage service-based competition (similar to practices in the EU). Additionally, a new 2023 law allows telecom providers to use utility and transportation infrastructure (like power poles or ducts) to extend broadband, which could help smaller ISPs reach rural areas without building entirely new pathways freedomhouse.org.
  • Mobile Operators: On the mobile side, three privately owned companies serve the country: MagtiCom, Silknet (mobile division, formerly Geocell), and Veon Georgia (branded as “Beeline” and now rebranding to “Cellfie”). The mobile market is fairly evenly split: Silknet has about 36%, MagtiCom 33%, and Veon/Beeline 30% of mobile subscribers freedomhouse.org. All three provide 4G coverage nationally and are poised to offer 5G in the future. Healthy competition in mobile has driven wide coverage and falling prices for data.

Internet Pricing and Speed Comparisons

In Georgia, internet service is relatively affordable and decent in speed, especially by regional standards. Fiber broadband packages are priced by speed tier, and the costs are modest compared to many countries. For example, Silknet’s home plans (circa 2021) ranged from 20 Mbps for 20 GEL ($7) to 100 Mbps for 100 GEL ($35) per month expathub.ge expathub.ge. MagtiCom’s prices were similar (e.g. 20 Mbps for 30 GEL, 50 Mbps for 50 GEL) expathub.ge. These prices include unlimited data and often Wi-Fi router installation. Given that the average monthly income in Georgia is lower than in Western Europe or the U.S., the fact that basic broadband can be had for under $10 is significant – it suggests a strong emphasis on making internet accessible. Indeed, the government reported that 89% of households had internet access by 2023, reflecting both growing infrastructure and generally affordable pricing freedomhouse.org.

For mobile data, Georgia also offers some of the cheapest rates in the region. Operators frequently bundle unlimited on-net calls, texts, and several gigabytes of data for just a few GEL. As a result, many Georgians use mobile internet heavily; however, for high-bandwidth activities (streaming, home Wi-Fi), fixed fiber is the preferred option due to reliability and speed.

Speed: The typical speeds in Georgia depend on location and plan. Most fiber connections in cities are capped at 100 Mbps, which is the upper-end plan for residential users investor.ge. While 100 Mbps is not cutting-edge by global standards (many countries now offer gigabit plans), it is “quite good for the Caucasus region” and sufficient for typical household needs investor.ge. In practice, many users subscribe to 20–50 Mbps plans, since that covers streaming and work-from-home requirements. According to Ookla speedtests in May 2023, the median fixed broadband download speed in Georgia was 25.5 Mbps (with higher capability in place for those who pay for 100 Mbps) freedomhouse.org. The median mobile download speed was about 31.6 Mbps freedomhouse.org, slightly higher than fixed at that time – indicating a well-developed 4G network. Ping times on mobile are naturally higher, but overall Georgia’s mobile internet experience is solid, often outpacing its neighbors.

For businesses or power users needing more than 100 Mbps, options do exist (some ISPs offer premium plans, or multiple lines aggregated), but it’s not common to see residential gigabit service yet investor.ge investor.ge. The lack of >100 Mbps plans is partly due to older GPON fiber technology limits and limited demand – as the 2020 Investor.ge report noted, even 10–20 Mbps is enough for typical streaming and browsing, and only data-heavy enterprises seek gigabit links investor.ge. Those enterprises can obtain dedicated fiber links up to 1 Gbps or 10 Gbps on a case-by-case basis, though such services are expensive and not advertised publicly investor.ge.

Comparatively Low Prices: It’s worth highlighting that Georgian broadband prices are substantially lower than prices in the U.S. or Europe for similar speeds. This is partly due to the lower cost of living, but also because of the competitive duopoly of Magti and Silknet and regulatory pressure. The regulator (ComCom) noted that the market concentration hasn’t led to price hikes – if anything, prices have remained stable or decreased as fiber has spread freedomhouse.org freedomhouse.org. For example, unlimited fiber at 20 Mbps for $7/month is a great deal by international standards. Even the top-tier 100 Mbps for ~$35 is within reach of many middle-class families. By contrast, in the U.S. state of Georgia (discussed later), less than 30% of residents have access to a broadband plan under $60/month benton.org, underscoring the affordability advantage in the country of Georgia.

Adoption Rates and Digital Literacy

Internet adoption in Georgia (country) has surged alongside infrastructure improvements, though some segments of the population remain offline. As of early 2025, an estimated 3.12 million Georgians were internet users, equivalent to 81.9% of the population datareportal.com. Government data from mid-2023 showed 82.7% of individuals (age 6+) had used the internet in the last 3 months, while about 15.2% have never used the internet freedomhouse.org. This indicates a solid majority of citizens are online, but there is still a noteworthy minority – roughly one in seven people – who are not internet users at all.

The non-users tend to be older adults, people in remote rural areas, or those with limited education and income. Digital literacy and relevance are barriers: some older Georgians simply lack computer skills or do not see the need for internet. There are ongoing efforts to boost digital literacy, often as part of broader development programs. For instance, Georgia’s 2020–2025 broadband strategy explicitly aims to “develop digital skills” alongside building networks freedomhouse.org. Community centers with internet access have been set up in many municipalities (89 such centers by 2023) to help citizens get online and learn basic computer use freedomhouse.org.

Urban vs Rural Adoption: In Tbilisi and other cities, internet use is nearly universal among the young and working-age population. Daily usage is high – a 2019 survey found 70% of Georgians were using the internet every day investor.ge. By contrast, in rural regions, while coverage might exist, adoption can lag. Some rural families might have a mobile phone but no home broadband due to cost or lack of tech know-how. The Caucasus Research Resource Center’s 2022 survey found 68% of the population used the internet daily, implying that a third still did not use it daily (occasional or non-users, heavily weighted toward rural and older demographics) freedomhouse.org.

Digital Literacy Initiatives: Various initiatives target digital inclusion. For example, partnerships with organizations like the Internet Society (ISOC) have helped train locals in managing community networks investor.ge. Additionally, schools have increasingly incorporated IT into curricula, ensuring the next generation grows up tech-savvy. The Georgian government, in collaboration with NGOs, has run programs to teach ICT skills to teachers, rural youth, and entrepreneurs, recognizing that connectivity alone isn’t enough – people need the skills to use it effectively.

Government Initiatives and Regulatory Policies

The Georgian government and regulator have been proactive in fostering internet development, through policy, investment, and reforms:

  • National Broadband Strategy: In January 2020, the government approved a five-year broadband development strategy freedomhouse.org. Key goals included near-universal 4G coverage by 2025 (99% of territory) and pilot 5G networks in multiple cities freedomhouse.org. The plan also focused on stimulating competition and improving digital skills freedomhouse.org. By setting clear targets, the strategy provides a roadmap for both public and private stakeholders.
  • Open Net (Rural Fiber Backbone): Recognizing that private ISPs weren’t extending fiber to sparsely populated areas, the government launched Open Net, a nonprofit entity under the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, in 2015 freedomhouse.org. Open Net’s mandate is to build and operate an open-access fiber network to rural settlements. By 2023, Open Net had completed four phases of deployment, laying 380 km of fiber infrastructure to connect dozens of villages and small towns freedomhouse.org. Projects have targeted areas like Ozurgeti (49 settlements, 29,000 residents benefited) and parts of Kobuleti, Tskaltubo, and others freedomhouse.org. These backbone extensions allow ISPs to then “last-mile” connect homes in those areas. Open Net effectively subsidizes rural connectivity by reducing infrastructure costs for any ISP that wants to serve those newly wired communities.
  • Infrastructure Sharing Laws: To lower barriers for network expansion, Georgia adopted regulations requiring large telecom operators to share facilities. A 2018 regulation obliges big fiber network owners to lease capacity to smaller ISPs on fair terms freedomhouse.org. And in May 2023, a new Law on Sharing Telecommunications Infrastructure was passed, which allows telecom providers to use existing passive infrastructure (e.g. utility poles, conduits) owned by power or transport companies for broadband rollout freedomhouse.org. This law was somewhat contentious (incumbents wanted state-owned infrastructure included too), but it should help reduce the cost of rural expansion by leveraging things like power lines instead of building new towers or digging new trenches freedomhouse.org.
  • Regulatory Environment: The Georgian National Communications Commission (ComCom) oversees the sector. While there have been criticisms (e.g. alleged politicization or lack of transparency in some decisions freedomhouse.org freedomhouse.org), in terms of market structure, ComCom’s policies have generally aimed to encourage competition. For instance, ComCom penalized unauthorized sale of a major ISP (Caucasus Online) to foreign owners and passed amendments to prevent concentration without approval freedomhouse.org. The regulator also handles issues like website blocking (mostly for copyright/IP violations) and ensures compliance with licensing and quality standards freedomhouse.org freedomhouse.org. Overall, Georgia scores reasonably well on global internet freedom and accessibility indices freedomhouse.org, indicating the regulatory framework, while not perfect, has enabled steady growth of internet access.
  • International Support: Georgia’s internet initiatives have attracted international investment and interest. Notably, the EU announced a €2.3 billion plan in 2022 to build a Black Sea electric cable between Georgia and Romania, which includes fiber-optic connectivity as part of improving regional infrastructure resilience freedomhouse.org. This huge project, if completed, would create a new high-capacity internet pathway from the Caucasus to the EU, reinforcing Georgia’s role as a digital bridge and potentially driving down bandwidth costs.
  • Public Access and E-Government: The government has also expanded public Wi-Fi zones and e-government services. Many cities offer free Wi-Fi in central areas, and government portals (for taxes, public records, etc.) have been launched to encourage online engagement. These efforts indirectly promote internet usage by making services more convenient online than offline.

Satellite Internet Availability (Starlink, OneWeb, etc.)

Given Georgia’s challenging topography, satellite internet is emerging as an important option for the most remote areas. Historically, satellite usage in Georgia was minimal – older satellite services had high latency, low speeds, and very high costs, making them a true last resort investor.ge. However, recent advancements in low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations are changing the equation.

By the end of 2023, Georgia joined the list of countries where SpaceX’s Starlink service is available. Starlink gained authorization from ComCom in mid-2022 samenacouncil.org samenacouncil.org, and after setting up a local entity (“Starlink Georgia” registered in June 2022), it officially launched service in Georgia in November 2023 samenacouncil.org. Elon Musk announced the rollout, and local users became able to order Starlink kits for the first time samenacouncil.org.

Starlink in Georgia (Country): Starlink’s arrival is a potential game-changer for rural connectivity. The service offers low-latency broadband (typically 50–150 Mbps) even in areas far from any fiber or cell tower starnetpros.com starnetpros.com. Georgian users reported that installation is straightforward and the performance far superior to prior satellite options starnetpros.com. The cost, however, is relatively steep for Georgia’s economy: according to local reports, Starlink is priced at 160 GEL per month (around $60) plus a one-time equipment cost of 1,780 GEL (~$660) and shipping ipress.ge. This is significantly higher than a typical wired broadband bill (e.g. 50 GEL) expathub.ge, meaning Starlink will mainly appeal to those who cannot get any decent land-based service. Still, for remote businesses, schools, or villages with pooled subscriptions, Starlink provides a lifeline. It essentially leapfrogs the need to lay miles of fiber through mountains – a remote household can install a satellite dish and be online with performance akin to urban internet.

  • OneWeb and Others: Apart from Starlink, Georgia has shown interest in OneWeb, another LEO satellite provider. Silknet, one of Georgia’s top telcos, signed a distribution agreement with OneWeb to handle the ground stations and user equipment for OneWeb in Georgia investor.ge investor.ge. OneWeb was planning to start service as early as 2021 investor.ge, but its timeline was delayed (OneWeb’s constellation is still under deployment, now expected to focus on enterprise and government customers). If OneWeb becomes active, it could offer an alternative satellite broadband option, potentially through bundled packages with Silknet. Additionally, traditional geostationary satellites (like those from HughesNet or regional operators) have spotty presence – a few Georgian users or businesses in the past have used VSAT connections, but these offer only around 2–10 Mbps and come with 600–800 ms latency, suitable only for basic needs investor.ge. They remain last-resort options due to these limitations.

Looking ahead, LEO satellites could connect even the tiniest mountain hamlets. Georgian telecom experts are optimistic that by the end of this decade, no settlement will be unreachable – remote areas may either get covered by fiber/wireless or simply connect via satellite to achieve “gigabit-speed internet” without waiting for terrestrial infrastructure investor.ge. In fact, Silknet’s partnership with OneWeb suggests an official strategy to incorporate satellite into the national broadband plan investor.ge.

Challenges: Despite its promise, satellite internet in Georgia faces some challenges. Cost is one – the price of Starlink is high for average citizens, and there may be import taxes on equipment. Also, the geography (narrow valleys, tall mountains) means some locations might have obstructed views of the sky, complicating Starlink setup. There’s also a need for awareness and technical support in rural areas to help install and maintain the kits. The government may consider subsidies or community Wi-Fi hubs using Starlink backhaul to spread the benefit (for example, one Starlink dish feeding a village Wi-Fi network). As of now, Starlink is new and its adoption numbers are small, but it represents an exciting new tool in closing the rural gap.

Underserved Communities: Disparities and Challenges

Georgia’s remaining digital divide largely falls along geographic and socio-economic lines. The hardest-to-connect communities are mountain villages and highland regions (e.g. parts of Svaneti, Tusheti, Khevsureti) where the terrain makes infrastructure costly. These areas often have older populations as younger residents leave for better opportunities – creating a vicious cycle where low demand discourages investment, and lack of internet keeps demand low. Projects like community networks or the introduction of Starlink can alleviate this, but affordability is also a factor. Even if service becomes available, low-income rural families might struggle to pay for it. According to Freedom House, as of 2022 about 28.7% of Georgians had a fixed broadband subscription (per 100 people) freedomhouse.org, whereas 70%+ of households have access. The gap suggests that some choose not to subscribe, possibly due to cost or lack of digital skills.

Another underserved group can be ethnic minority regions and displaced persons. For example, areas near conflict zones (Abkhazia, South Ossetia – not under government control) are effectively cut off from Georgia’s networks. Within Georgia, some communities with language barriers (speaking Azerbaijani, Armenian, etc.) might not fully utilize the internet if content or services aren’t accessible to them. The government and NGOs have made efforts to provide localized digital content and training in these regions as part of inclusion programs.

Urban Poor: Even in cities where infrastructure exists, not everyone is online. Urban low-income families or elderly living alone may not have internet access due to cost or lack of devices. However, the urban-rural gap is more pronounced: in Tbilisi, internet usage is above 80% for all age groups except the very old; in rural villages, you’ll find households with no computer or smartphone.

Addressing the Challenges: Georgia is tackling these disparities through a mix of policy (universal access projects, Open Net), partnerships (with NGOs and donors for community networks), and emerging tech (satellites, 5G). The country’s rapid progress – growing from only 27% internet usage in 2010 to ~82% in 2023 investor.ge freedomhouse.org – shows that it can overcome challenges. But the last mile to 100% inclusion will likely require targeted support for the remaining underserved: subsidies (as OneWeb and Silknet might offer), continued community engagement, and ensuring that having internet translates into tangible benefits (like online education, telehealth, e-commerce) for these communities. Georgia’s story so far is one of impressive infrastructure gains and increasing connectivity, and with the groundwork laid, the focus is shifting to connecting the hardest-to-reach and the not-yet-convinced segments of the population.

Internet Access in Georgia (U.S. State)

Overview: In the U.S. state of Georgia, home to over 10.5 million people, internet access is widespread in metropolitan areas but remains a challenge in many rural counties. Georgia ranks around the middle among U.S. states for overall broadband coverage and speeds broadbandnow.com. Most urban and suburban residents have multiple options (fiber, cable, mobile broadband), while rural Georgians often face limited choice, slower technologies, or no high-speed access at all. The state has launched ambitious programs to expand rural broadband and has embraced public-private partnerships, local electric cooperatives, and federal funding to tackle the digital divide. We’ll explore the infrastructure landscape – from Atlanta’s gigabit fiber to remote farmland’s satellite links – as well as providers, pricing, and initiatives in the Peach State.

Infrastructure and Broadband Technologies

Georgia’s broadband infrastructure is a patchwork reflecting both legacy telephone/cable systems and newer fiber deployments:

  • Fiber-Optic: Fiber broadband is rapidly growing in Georgia but is not yet universal. Large ISPs like AT&T have built fiber-to-the-premises in parts of cities and towns (especially in Atlanta and other metro areas), and various rural electric cooperatives are rolling out fiber in their service territories. As of late 2022, about 55% of Georgians had access to a fiber-based broadband network benton.org. This means over half the population could potentially get gigabit-speed service, but the other half – largely in less populated areas – still could not. Fiber is most prevalent in Atlanta and its suburbs, other major cities (Savannah, Augusta, Macon, Columbus), and pockets of rural counties where co-ops or smaller ISPs have deployed it. For example, Google Fiber brought gigabit service to metro Atlanta several years ago, and AT&T Fiber offers up to 5 Gbps in parts of Atlanta and Athens. In rural Georgia, companies like Windstream’s Kinetic and local EMCs (electric membership cooperatives) have laid fiber in some communities using state/federal grants. The state’s goal, under the Broadband Initiative, is to encourage fiber builds to unserved areas, and many recent projects (funded by the American Rescue Plan Act and other programs) focus on fiber last-mile to farms and small towns.
  • Cable Broadband: Cable internet (DOCSIS) is one of the primary broadband sources in Georgia’s populated areas. Comcast Xfinity is the largest cable provider, serving much of Atlanta, its metro counties, and other cities. Charter Spectrum covers some parts of Georgia (often more exurban or rural towns, especially in north Georgia and areas not served by Comcast). Cox Communications has a presence in a few communities (for instance, Cox serves some areas in Middle Georgia). Cable infrastructure, which originally delivered television, now provides high-speed internet (typically 100 Mbps up to 1.2 Gbps download speeds) to a large portion of Georgia’s households. The advantage of cable is that it was already built out to many neighborhoods decades ago, so it reaches places fiber doesn’t yet. According to one 2020 analysis, cable or fiber at 25 Mbps+ was available to about 92–97% of Georgia residents benton.org broadbandnow.com – cable fills much of that gap where fiber hasn’t reached. Cable providers have been upgrading networks to offer faster speeds; for example, Comcast in Georgia offers gigabit download speeds over cable in most of its territory, and has begun trialing multi-gig speeds.
  • DSL and Legacy Phone Lines: Traditional DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) over copper phone lines still exists in parts of Georgia, primarily in rural or semi-rural areas where neither fiber nor cable has been deployed. AT&T, as the incumbent telephone company in much of Georgia, had extensive DSL coverage (often up to 10–25 Mbps) in small towns and rural areas. However, DSL technology cannot meet modern “broadband” definitions if distances are long – many rural DSL lines deliver only a few Mbps or less, and some areas are too far to get any DSL signal. Windstream (a telecom provider serving many rural counties in Georgia) also provided ADSL or VDSL service historically. The trend has been that DSL is gradually being replaced by fiber or fixed wireless in the most underserved areas, but tens of thousands of Georgians likely still rely on DSL for lack of a better option. These connections are often slow (under 10 Mbps down) and struggle with today’s bandwidth demands.
  • Fixed Wireless Broadband: An emerging part of Georgia’s mix is fixed wireless internet – using radio links (often via cell towers or dedicated wireless ISPs) to deliver home internet. This includes technologies like LTE-based home internet (some rural areas now have 4G/5G fixed wireless from carriers like T-Mobile or Verizon) and independent Wireless ISPs that use point-to-point antennas. Fixed wireless can cover scattered farms and homes more economically than running new cables. Georgia has seen growth in fixed wireless offerings especially since the pandemic. The Microsoft Airband initiative, for example, has partnered with rural ISPs in Georgia to use TV White Spaces and other spectrum for wireless broadband. While fixed wireless reach is not fully documented, the state’s broadband program considers it alongside wired options to reach the last few percent of locations. BroadbandNow estimated in 2023 that about 96.5% of Georgians have access to either wired or fixed wireless broadband of at least basic speed broadbandnow.com, highlighting that fixed wireless has helped bump up coverage in areas without cable/fiber.
  • Mobile Networks: Georgia is well-covered by mobile broadband networks. 4G LTE service from Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile reaches the vast majority of the state (over 99% of the population has 4G coverage based on carriers’ maps). 5G has also rolled out – in Atlanta and other cities you’ll find high-capacity 5G (both T-Mobile’s mid-band “Ultra Capacity” 5G and AT&T/Verizon’s 5G, including some mmWave in dense urban spots). In rural Georgia, 5G is mostly low-band, roughly equal to 4G speeds, but it is expanding. While mobile broadband is not a direct substitute for home internet for heavy use (due to data caps or variable signal), it serves as a critical lifeline in areas with no other service. Many rural households use mobile hotspots or phone tethering as their primary internet if they can’t get wired service. Indeed, about 10.6% of Georgia households rely solely on cellular data for internet access metroatlantaceo.com – a figure slightly below the U.S. average, but indicating one in ten households has no wired internet, only mobile metroatlantaceo.com. The state during COVID even deployed mobile Wi-Fi vans and hotspots to unconnected communities so students could get online for remote learning.

Technology Coverage Snapshot: In summary, metro areas of Georgia enjoy gigabit-class options (fiber or cable) and robust 4G/5G networks, while rural areas might have to settle for DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite if cable/fiber hasn’t arrived. The state’s infrastructure challenge has been described as the “last mile” to remote areas and the “farm-to-fiber” gap – connecting dispersed rural homes that are costly to wire. That’s where a lot of recent investment is focused.

Availability and Urban–Rural Coverage

Urban Coverage: In Georgia’s cities and suburbs, internet availability is essentially ubiquitous. Atlanta, for instance, has 100% coverage by at least one high-speed provider (usually both cable and telco). Many urban zip codes report service from 4 or more ISPs, including incumbents and smaller resellers georgiapolicy.org. Urban residents can typically choose between cable (e.g. Xfinity) and telephone/fiber (AT&T), plus additional options like municipal networks (some small cities have their own fiber for businesses), competitive fiber (Google Fiber in select neighborhoods), and of course mobile or satellite if desired. This competition has driven high speeds – Atlanta’s median download speeds rank among the top U.S. cities, and the presence of big tech industry and universities means demand for quality connectivity is high. For example, a 2023 study noted 87% of Atlanta households have a computer and broadband subscription at home stateoftheregion.com, which is in line with other major metros.

Rural Coverage: The picture changes dramatically in rural Georgia. The state has 159 counties, and 108 of them are classified as rural benton.org. These rural counties account for 20% of Georgia’s population benton.org, and they are the areas where broadband is least available. As of 2019, an estimated 25% of Georgia’s rural residents lacked access to high-speed internet (defined as 25 Mbps/3 Mbps) benton.org benton.org. This amounted to roughly 626,000 rural Georgians without broadband access at that time benton.org. Even by 2022, state data showed just over 9% of all locations in Georgia (about 482,000 addresses) were still unserved by baseline broadband, and nearly 75% of those unserved locations are in rural areas govtech.com govtech.com. In plain terms, approximately 500,000 homes and businesses in Georgia have no provider offering even 25 Mbps service, and 70% of those are rural govtech.com govtech.com.

These unserved areas are scattered mostly in sparsely populated pockets – think farmlands, forestry areas, or very small towns. In some rural counties, the county seat might have cable internet, but outlying communities do not. A state broadband map published in 2020 revealed stark contrasts: for example, Liberty County (which includes suburban areas near a military base) had only 8% of locations underserved, whereas nearby Tattnall County had a much larger share unserved govtech.com. Typically, north Georgia mountain counties and south Georgia agricultural counties have the highest gaps. A University of Georgia study in 2021 noted “approximately 10% of the population of Georgia is not served” and many of those are in the rural Black Belt and Appalachia regions news.uga.edu govtech.com.

Impact of Coverage Gap: This urban-rural digital divide translates into real socio-economic disparities. Rural Georgians without broadband struggled with remote schooling, telehealth, and e-commerce – challenges highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some rural students had to sit in fast-food parking lots for Wi-Fi to do homework. Lack of broadband also impedes farms adopting precision agriculture or small businesses expanding online. Recognizing this, bridging rural coverage has become a bipartisan priority in Georgia.

Progress: The good news is that coverage is improving. From 2018 to 2023, Georgia’s rural broadband access saw significant investments (more on those in the initiatives section). By one measure, 95% of all Georgians now have access to basic broadband (25/3) benton.org, up from around 91% a few years prior. Importantly, the state created its own detailed broadband maps to identify exactly which addresses lack service (down to individual locations) – something the federal FCC maps historically overestimated. Georgia’s mapping found those ~482,000 unserved locations, which became targets for grants and provider expansions. Projects completed or underway since 2020 are connecting tens of thousands of those. For example, Comcast in 2020–2021 expanded service to nearly 8,000 previously unserved homes across four rural communities near Savannah govtech.com, and Windstream received funds to bring fiber to tens of thousands of rural locations through a $304 million state program in 2022 broadbandbreakfast.com broadbandbreakfast.com. As these efforts continue, the gap will shrink – though as of mid-2025, it’s expected that some tens of thousands of the hardest-to-reach homes will remain, for which alternative tech (like satellite) may be the solution.

Key Internet Service Providers and Market Dynamics

Georgia’s ISP landscape features a mix of big national companies and local players:

  • AT&T: As the legacy Bell incumbent, AT&T covers a large portion of Georgia for telephone service and thus DSL/broadband. In metro areas, AT&T Fiber is a major provider, offering speeds from 300 Mbps up to multi-gigabit. AT&T’s fiber network in Georgia passes over 1 million locations, including much of Atlanta. However, outside fiber zones, AT&T often only offers old DSL (which can be very slow). AT&T has been upgrading some rural areas using federal funds (CAF II, etc.), but it has also in some cases retired DSL where it can’t profitably upgrade, leaving a void to be filled by others. AT&T’s market share in Georgia’s broadband is significant in cities (where fiber competes well), but less so in rural areas where cable or others might dominate because AT&T DSL maxes out at low speeds.
  • Comcast Xfinity: Comcast is Georgia’s largest cable broadband provider. It serves major population centers – essentially, if you’re in metro Atlanta or any big city, Comcast is likely the cable option. Comcast’s footprint in Georgia covers millions of households. They offer cable internet tiers from 50 Mbps up to 1.2 Gbps, and recently even a 2 Gbps plan in some areas. Comcast has been actively expanding into some semi-rural areas as well, especially where counties or state grants subsidize reaching new homes govtech.com govtech.com. For instance, Comcast announced expansions in southeast Georgia (e.g. Camden, Haralson counties) connecting thousands of new rural homes to their network govtech.com. In terms of market share, Comcast likely has one of the biggest slices of Georgia’s broadband subscribers due to its presence in high-density areas and reliable high-speed offerings.
  • Charter Spectrum: Charter Communications (Spectrum) covers areas not served by Comcast, often more rural or smaller cities. For example, Charter is the cable provider in parts of northwest Georgia, some central Georgia areas, etc. Spectrum’s offerings are similar – up to 1 Gbps cable service. They too have partaken in rural buildouts (Charter won federal RDOF funding to expand rural broadband in several states including Georgia). So Charter is another key ISP, though not as ubiquitous as Comcast in the state.
  • Windstream (Kinetic): Windstream is a telecom provider focused on rural and small-town markets across multiple states. In Georgia, Windstream inherited many rural telephone networks (it covers areas like north Georgia mountains, middle Georgia rural counties, etc.). Under the brand Kinetic by Windstream, they provide DSL in many places, but have increasingly been deploying fiber-to-the-home in rural communities where grants are available. Windstream is notable because the state partnered with them heavily: in 2022, Georgia awarded a $171 million ARPA grant (plus $133 million from Windstream) to build fiber in 18 counties, reaching tens of thousands of rural locations broadbandbreakfast.com broadbandbreakfast.com. This public-private project will bring multi-gig fiber to places that had only slow DSL before. Windstream’s investment makes it a major player in rural broadband modernization in Georgia. Windstream also engages with electric cooperatives (letting co-ops handle distribution in some cases).
  • Local Electric Cooperatives and Telecoms: After a 2019 law (Senate Bill 2) allowed Georgia’s member-owned electric co-ops to enter the broadband business emcs4ruralbroadband.com emcs4ruralbroadband.com, several have started projects. Examples: Jackson EMC partnered to form broadband ventures, Blue Ridge Mountain EMC (in north Georgia) offers internet, and Diverse Power in western Georgia started laying fiber. These co-ops typically partner with an established ISP or create a subsidiary to run fiber along their power lines, serving members. By 2021, Governor Kemp touted six EMC partnerships expanding broadband to over 178,000 rural homes and businesses benton.org benton.org. This indicates the co-ops are now key providers in some rural pockets – often the only ones willing to serve very low-density areas because they view broadband as a community service similar to electrification.
  • Hargray, Mediacom, ETC, and others: There are various regional providers: Hargray Communications historically served coastal Georgia (it offers fiber/cable in areas around Savannah and South Georgia; Hargray was acquired by Cable One/Sparklight). Mediacom is another cable operator with a small footprint in south Georgia. Ellijay Telephone Company (ETC) in the North Georgia mountains provides fiber in its locales. These smaller ISPs have local importance and collectively cover some gaps.
  • Mobile and Fixed Wireless ISPs: For mobile, the “Big Three” carriers (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile) are all active in Georgia, but they are more about wireless service than fixed home internet – until recently. Now, T-Mobile Home Internet (which uses 4G/5G signals to provide ~50-100 Mbps to homes) is available in many parts of Georgia, urban and rural, and has been a popular low-cost option where cable or fiber isn’t available or too pricey. Verizon’s 5G Home is also offered in certain areas. These wireless home internet services don’t cover everywhere (they need sufficient cell capacity), but they are expanding and providing competition. Additionally, independent WISPs (Wireless ISPs) serve some rural areas, using towers and line-of-sight radio equipment to beam internet to farms or communities.

Market Share & Competition: The market can be roughly split by geography: in metro areas, Comcast and AT&T (plus maybe T-Mobile 5G as a disruptor) dominate, whereas in rural areas, Windstream, local co-ops, or satellite might be the only options. According to BroadbandNow, Georgia overall had 93% of people with access to 100 Mbps+ broadband and about 96% with some wired or fixed wireless option, but only <30% with access to a low-priced ($60 or less) plan benton.org. That last point hints at competition issues – many rural areas that have service might have only one provider, often at higher prices. Indeed, in 2019 it was noted that only 55% of Georgia households with income < $35k had internet, vs 92% of those above $75k benton.org, implying affordability and access disparities aligned with providers in low-income or rural areas.

The state’s push to certify “Broadband Ready Communities” and facilitate ISP entry has helped. It set up a program where communities streamline permitting and signal they’re open for broadband business benton.org. Over 80 communities had earned this certification by 2022. This kind of environment has drawn companies like Charter, Comcast, AT&T, Windstream, Verizon, T-Mobile, and SpaceX to all invest in Georgia’s broadband in various ways.

Internet Pricing and Speed Comparisons

Georgians experience a wide range of internet speeds and prices depending on their location and provider:

  • Speeds: In Atlanta and other well-served areas, consumers can get very fast speeds. Gigabit (1,000 Mbps) service is common via fiber or cable. Some AT&T Fiber areas even offer 2 Gbps and 5 Gbps plans (though those are niche and expensive). Ookla reported Georgia’s median download speed (fixed) as about 85–96 Mbps in recent rankings broadbandnow.com – a respectable figure that reflects high-speed urban connections. On the other hand, rural speed tests can be much lower; someone on old DSL might only get 3–10 Mbps, and those on 4G LTE might see 20 Mbps if they have good signal. The state’s target is to ensure everyone can get at least 25/3 Mbps, but really the goalposts have moved toward 100 Mbps as the new minimum for full participation (for multiple video streams, etc.). Approximately 93% of Georgia residents have access to 100 Mbps+ service (often via cable) broadbandnow.com, but access doesn’t always mean adoption.
  • Prices: Pricing in Georgia tends to align with U.S. national averages – which is to say, higher than in many countries. A typical cable or fiber broadband plan (100–300 Mbps) might cost $60–$80 per month, not including promotional discounts benton.org. If bundled with TV or phone, sometimes the effective rate is a bit lower. There is a notable statistic: only around 30% of Georgians have access to a broadband plan $60 or under benton.org. This suggests that in many areas, the only available plans are above that threshold (often $70+ for standalone internet). Low-income households can struggle with these prices, leading some to rely on cheaper but limited cellular data instead.

To combat this, the federal Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) provides a $30/month subsidy for qualifying low-income households. Georgia has about 1.6 million households eligible for ACP, but as of 2023 only 34% of them had enrolled gta.georgia.gov gta.georgia.gov. The state launched outreach to boost ACP participation, since that $30 can make a basic plan effectively free for many families gta.georgia.gov gta.georgia.gov. Additionally, some providers (like Comcast’s Internet Essentials, AT&T’s Access, etc.) offer $10–$20 plans for low-income users (typically ~50 Mbps with ACP making it free).

At the high end, those who want the fastest speeds can pay quite a bit. For instance, Starlink satellite in Georgia costs about $110 per month + $599 equipment for ~100 Mbps service (and Starlink is not even the most expensive – their premium tier is $500/month broadbandbreakfast.com). Thankfully, most people don’t need to resort to that if they have a terrestrial option.

Urban vs Rural Pricing: Rural residents often face higher prices for worse speeds. Where there’s a monopoly provider (e.g. only one small telco or satellite), the cost per Mbps is usually higher. Conversely, in Atlanta where AT&T and Comcast compete, we see aggressive promo deals (like $55/month for 300 Mbps fiber). The state’s tracking found that many rural counties had zero offerings under $60 until recently benton.org. The influx of new fiber co-ops and providers could improve this by introducing more affordable packages.

One bright spot: through subsidized projects, some rural areas are getting top-notch service at reasonable rates. For example, rural fiber co-ops often price gigabit at ~$70, which, considering the performance, is fair. And with ACP, some rural families will be able to get, say, a 100 Mbps plan for nearly nothing.

Mobile Data Pricing: On mobile, unlimited smartphone data plans in the U.S. run about $60–$80 monthly, but smaller data packages or prepaid can be cheaper. Some rural users utilize prepaid hotspots with fixed data caps, which can be costly per GB. This is why the ACP (which also can apply to mobile plans) is being pushed so heavily – to alleviate cost barriers.

In summary, Georgia’s speed leaders are on par with any in the country (multi-gig fiber in Atlanta), but the speed laggards are very low (sub-broadband DSL in rural areas). And prices can range from excellent value (e.g. $10 ACP plans) to very high (e.g. $100+ for rural wireless or satellite). The state and federal programs aim to normalize this so rural folks can get urban-quality internet at similar prices.

Adoption Rates and Digital Literacy

Georgia shows a high level of internet adoption overall, but with noticeable gaps in rural and low-income communities:

  • Overall Adoption: As of the latest data, about 87.7% of Georgia households have some form of internet access at home metroatlantaceo.com. Conversely, 12.3% of households (roughly 1 in 8) have no internet access at all metroatlantaceo.com. These figures include all types of internet (wired, cellular, etc.). The state is slightly behind the U.S. average (where about 89% of households have internet) metroatlantaceo.com. When looking at individuals, an estimated 9% of Georgians (around 932,000 people) could not access broadband as of a few years ago benton.org, and many of those are in rural areas and older age brackets.
  • Mobile-Only Usage: As mentioned, 10.6% of Georgia households rely solely on cellular data for their internet metroatlantaceo.com. These tend to be either younger adults who use smartphones for everything, or low-income households that can’t afford a wired plan, or people in areas where wired isn’t available. Reliance on mobile can be problematic because, while it counts as being “online,” it may not be sufficient for heavy tasks (imagine writing a resume on a phone or kids doing homework on a small screen). National studies show younger adults (18–29) are far more likely to be mobile-only; indeed nearly 30% of U.S. young adults use only cellular internet metroatlantaceo.com. Georgia likely reflects this trend in its cities.
  • Urban vs Rural Adoption: There’s a clear urban-rural divide in adoption. In metro Atlanta and other cities, broadband adoption is high (often 80–90% of households). In contrast, in some very rural counties, the share of households with internet could be 50–60%. Factors include availability (if it’s not offered, you can’t subscribe), but also demographics and income. Rural areas have older populations on average, and older adults nationwide are less likely to use the internet. They might find it intimidating or unnecessary. A Pew survey finds many seniors remain offline due to lack of interest or skill. In Georgia’s rural counties, we can infer digital literacy is a barrier: for example, rural adult populations might not have had as much exposure to computers, especially in areas of generational poverty.
  • Income and Racial Disparities: Within both urban and rural contexts, income is a strong predictor of internet adoption. As cited earlier, only 55% of sub-$35k income households in Georgia were online vs 92% of $75k+ households benton.org. That’s a huge gap – tied to both affordability of service and devices, and maybe education level. Racially, there are also divides: Black and Hispanic households in Georgia have lower home broadband rates than White households, often correlating with income differences and historical inequalities. Many initiatives in Georgia (like nonprofit digital inclusion efforts in Atlanta) specifically aim to connect African-American neighborhoods and others who have been left behind.
  • Digital Literacy Programs: To address the human side of the digital divide, Georgia has some noteworthy programs:
    • 4-H Tech Changemakers: In rural Georgia, teenagers in the 4-H club have been teaching digital skills to rural adults landgrantimpacts.org landgrantimpacts.org. This peer-to-community model has reached over 5,000 people in 2021–2022, where youths help seniors and other adults learn to use email, browsers, or video calls landgrantimpacts.org. Nearly all adult participants said they learned new tech skills and that it would help in daily life landgrantimpacts.org. This helps ensure that when broadband arrives, communities actually know how to benefit from it.
    • Libraries and Schools: Public libraries across Georgia have long provided free internet access and basic computer training. Many libraries in rural counties offer computer use, Wi-Fi, and even device checkout. They often partner with groups like EveryoneOn or local colleges to host digital literacy workshops (covering topics from internet safety to resume building with online tools). Schools, too, are integrating digital literacy from early grades, and some districts, seeing the homework gap, have distributed laptops or Wi-Fi hotspots to students in need.
    • Affordable Connectivity Outreach: The state’s ACP awareness campaign (ACP Act Now) not only enrolls people in the subsidy but also educates them on how to find and sign up for a broadband plan gta.georgia.gov gta.georgia.gov. Part of bridging the gap is simply making sure families know that these programs exist and guiding them through the application (which can be daunting if one isn’t digitally savvy). By training 200+ community leaders as ACP enrollment specialists in 2023 gta.georgia.gov, Georgia is effectively building digital navigators who can assist the unconnected in getting online and understanding how to use their new connectivity.

In spite of these efforts, challenges remain. Georgia’s adoption rate indicates roughly 1 in 8 households still offline completely. These are often the hardest cases – perhaps an elderly widow living alone on a fixed income who’s never had internet, or a family in a remote area where even cell coverage is spotty and they’ve never experienced reliable internet to know what they’re missing. Overcoming this will require personalized outreach (sometimes literally going door-to-door with solutions), continued cost reductions, and showing people the relevance (for health, finances, staying in touch) of being connected.

Government Initiatives and Policies Impacting Development

Georgia’s state government has taken a multi-faceted approach to improving internet access, especially over the past 5–6 years. Key initiatives and policies include:

  • Achieving Connectivity Everywhere (ACE) Act (2018): This landmark state legislation formally launched the Georgia Broadband Deployment Initiative (GBDI) benton.org. It directed the creation of a detailed broadband map and set up a framework for state involvement in broadband expansion. The ACE Act basically acknowledged broadband as essential infrastructure, similar to electricity or water, and empowered state agencies to coordinate efforts. It also established a Georgia Broadband Ready Community program and a Broadband Model Ordinance to streamline local government processes for ISP network build-outs benton.org benton.org. Under ACE, Georgia defined unserved areas (no 25/3 service) and prioritized them for action.
  • State Broadband Plan (2019): GBDI released a comprehensive plan in 2019 outlining how to address the digital divide benton.org. It called for mapping every location lacking service by 2020 (which was achieved), and highlighted that wiring the entire state could cost $3+ billion, thus requiring both public and private investment benton.org. The plan also prepared for leveraging federal funds and encouraged partnerships (exactly what we see happening now with federal infrastructure money and co-op projects).
  • Broadband Mapping and Grants: Georgia became a leader in granular broadband mapping. The state’s map (first published 2020) used address-level data to identify unserved locations, revealing about 9% of locations without service benton.org benton.org. This map has been updated annually. Using this data, Georgia directed funds to the areas of greatest need. In 2021–2022, the state allocated $408 million of federal COVID relief (ARPA) funds to co-fund broadband projects in unserved areas broadbandbreakfast.com broadbandbreakfast.com. For example, the big Windstream partnership ($171M state + $133M company) and others with smaller ISPs and EMCs. These grants essentially subsidize the capital cost of extending fiber or cable to rural homes that would not be profitable otherwise.
  • Electric Cooperative Authorization (SB 2, 2019): The state legislature passed Senate Bill 2 allowing electric membership co-ops to offer broadband services or partner with telecoms to do so gta.georgia.gov emcs4ruralbroadband.com. Previously, some co-ops were unsure of their legal ability to get into internet; this bill made it clear they could. Given that EMCs serve many rural Georgians, this was crucial. Since then, numerous EMCs have rolled out broadband (Oglethorpe Power’s co-ops, Amicalola EMC, etc.), often in partnership with providers like Spectrum or Windstream or through new subsidiaries (e.g., Conexon works with some co-ops to build fiber networks). Governor Kemp highlighted EMC broadband expansions connecting 178,000+ rural locations by 2021 benton.org benton.org – a direct result of this policy change.
  • Right of Way and Streamlining Laws: Georgia also passed laws to ease deployment, such as standardizing the process for attaching to poles or using public rights-of-way. A “Streamlining Wireless Facilities and Antennas” act made it easier to deploy small cells for wireless coverage in public areas senatepress.net. For wired networks, the Broadband Model Ordinance recommended by the state asks localities to charge only “reasonable, cost-based, nondiscriminatory” permit fees and to approve permits quickly (10 days) benton.org. This prevents red tape from delaying expansions.
  • Federal Funding Leverage: The state has been aggressive in going after federal broadband funds. Georgia providers won hundreds of millions in the FCC’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) auction in 2020 to expand rural broadband (Charter, Windstream, etc. won bids to serve Georgia census blocks). The state is now preparing for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act’s BEAD program, which will allocate possibly ~$100 million+ to Georgia for broadband in the coming years. Georgia’s planning ensures it can use that money effectively by already having a pipeline of projects from its maps and grant process.
  • Digital Equity & Affordability: Beyond infrastructure, Georgia’s government has recognized the need for affordability programs and digital literacy (covered in adoption section). The ACP initiative by the Georgia Technology Authority (GTA) in 2023 is one example of a state-level push to get people signed up for federal subsidies gta.georgia.gov gta.georgia.gov. Additionally, the state has worked with the Southern Education Foundation and others to address the K-12 digital divide, e.g., distributing devices and mobile hotspots to students lacking them. Policymakers also discuss possibly using state funds to continue some subsidy or device programs if federal ones lapse.
  • Political Will: Broadband has been a rare area of bipartisan agreement in Georgia. Both Republican and Democratic leaders have championed rural broadband as vital for economic development. In the 2018 gubernatorial race, both candidates made rural internet a platform issue benton.org, and since then, Governor Brian Kemp (R) has consistently supported funding and partnerships to expand access, framing it as improving “healthcare, education, and economic growth” in rural Georgia benton.org. The legislature continues to explore incentives, such as a proposal for state-backed loans to ISPs for rural deployment ajc.com. This political support ensures that, at least for now, broadband remains a priority in budget and policy decisions.

Special Focus: Satellite Internet in Georgia (State)

Satellite internet plays a dual role in Georgia: it has long been a last resort for the most unserved rural homes, and now with SpaceX’s Starlink, it’s becoming a relatively better (though still costly) alternative for those on the wrong side of the digital divide.

Traditional Satellite (HughesNet, Viasat): In the past, rural Georgians with no wired options often turned to geostationary satellite providers like HughesNet or Viasat (Exede). These services blanket the state from orbit, so availability was 100% even where phone or cable lines didn’t reach. However, their performance is poor: typically ~25 Mbps down, 3 Mbps up plans, with very high latency (~600 ms) and strict data caps (e.g. 50 GB per month) – and they cost $70+ monthly. As a result, only those absolutely with zero alternatives used them (and some even preferred a slow DSL if available due to latency). Many rural Georgian households were reluctant to invest in satellite due to reports of unreliable service in bad weather and frustration with the latency (think a second delay on every click). Nevertheless, thousands likely subscribed because something is better than nothing. For context, by 2019 Georgia had about 9% of locations unserved benton.org – satellite was essentially the only option for those until recently.

Starlink in Georgia: Starlink, with its low-earth orbit constellation, became available throughout Georgia starting around mid-2021. Being in the mid-latitudes of the U.S., Georgia was covered fairly early as SpaceX activated service across the continental US. Starlink offers speeds of 50–200 Mbps and latency ~20–40 ms, a massive improvement over old satellites starnetpros.com starnetpros.com. Many rural Georgians jumped at it: on forums like Reddit, users from rural north Georgia reported Starlink gave them 35–120 Mbps versus the 1.8 Mbps they got from Windstream DSL starnetpros.com. Real-world feedback in Georgia has been positive – “prepare to enjoy the internet again,” wrote one user to others stuck on slow ISP connections reddit.com. The installation is DIY and most found it straightforward (the kit finds satellites on its own). As of late 2023, Starlink has tens of thousands of users across the rural U.S., and Georgia is certainly among the states with active subscribers given its unserved areas.

However, Starlink isn’t cheap for consumers: ~$599 equipment and $90–$120 per month for residential service (the exact figure has varied; at one point it was $99, later $110). For folks who were paying $80 for virtually unusable satellite before, this price might be justifiable. But for lower-income rural families, it’s steep. Some have offset it with ACP $30 subsidies (Starlink does participate in ACP). Also, Starlink requires a clear view of the sky, which can be tricky in Georgia’s wooded areas – some users had to mount dishes high or trim trees.

Adoption and Use Cases: Starlink’s biggest impact is on those who had no viable internet. Now a farmer in south Georgia or a cabin in the mountains can get streaming-capable internet, enabling remote work or online schooling that was impossible before. It also provides competition: local ISPs know that if they don’t improve service, customers might go Starlink. Anecdotally, some Georgians have used Starlink while waiting for fiber construction to finish in their area, then switched once fiber went live. In truly isolated spots that will never see fiber, Starlink might be permanent. It’s also being eyed for business and government use: emergency management agencies in Georgia have used Starlink kits for connectivity during hurricane responses on the coast, and some remote clinics might use it for telehealth.

Other LEO Satellites: In the near future, Amazon’s Project Kuiper may also serve Georgia (it plans a similar LEO system). For now, Starlink is the main player. One big advantage of LEO in Georgia is resilience – after storms that knock out power and cables, a Starlink dish with a generator can keep a community connected.

Challenges: As more users join, Starlink has seen some network congestion leading to slower speeds at peak times. Rural Georgia is not as dense as urban areas, so this may be less of an issue, but it’s something to monitor. Also, not everyone can self-install easily; local tech companies have popped up offering Starlink installation in Georgia for those who need help mounting the dish on a roof or pole internetinstallga.com.

In summary, satellite internet in Georgia has evolved from an absolute last-ditch option (HughesNet) to a surprisingly robust solution (Starlink) that’s helping bridge gaps immediately, even as fiber and wireless projects slowly roll out. The state government, while focusing on fiber, has acknowledged satellite as part of the toolkit – especially for extremely hard-to-reach locales and for redundancy (e.g., having satellite backup for critical facilities).

Underserved Communities and Remaining Challenges

Despite all the progress, Georgia still faces challenges in ensuring equitable internet access. Key underserved groups include:

  • Rural Communities with Persistent Poverty: Places in southwest Georgia, for example, with higher poverty rates (and often predominantly Black populations), not only lack infrastructure at times but also resources to adopt. These communities may have broadband availability on paper but low subscription rates. The cost of service and devices is a barrier. That’s why uptake of programs like ACP is crucial – yet as noted, only a third of eligible Georgians have used ACP gta.georgia.gov gta.georgia.gov. Expanding awareness and ease of enrollment in such areas is an ongoing challenge.
  • Education Gaps – The Homework Gap: Underserved students remain a concern. Metro Atlanta has pockets where kids still rely on library Wi-Fi or cell phones for homework because the home either doesn’t have internet or it’s too slow to support multiple learners. Rural schools often report that a chunk of students cannot do online assignments at home. Some districts have deployed school buses equipped with Wi-Fi to park in rural neighborhoods as makeshift hotspots. Sustaining and improving these interim solutions until permanent broadband arrives is something local educators and nonprofits are working on.
  • People with Disabilities and Seniors: These groups may have access but face usability challenges. For seniors, fear or lack of training can render the available internet moot. For individuals with disabilities, accessibility of technology (like adaptive equipment or accessible websites) can be an issue. Georgia’s digital inclusion efforts include training specifically tailored for seniors (like the 4-H program mentioned) and some libraries providing assistive tech for those who need it.
  • Language and Cultural Barriers: Georgia has a growing immigrant population (e.g., Spanish speakers, others in the Atlanta area). If broadband information and training aren’t provided in their languages, they may be left out. Some community organizations in Atlanta (like Latin American Association, Asian-American groups) have taken on digital inclusion for their communities.
  • Infrastructure Sustainability: Even after initial build-outs, ensuring networks remain updated and maintained in underserved areas can be a challenge. A fear is that once the big federal money is spent and networks built, some small rural ISPs might struggle financially to maintain them if subscriber take-up is lower than expected. Georgia will need to monitor and possibly support these networks long-term (through ensuring fair competition, encouraging anchor institutions to use them, etc.).
  • Addressing No-Internet Households: The fact that 12% of households have no internet at all metroatlantaceo.com means more than half a million Georgia households are entirely offline. Many of these are by choice or circumstance beyond infrastructure. Digital equity plans at the state level are starting to address this human side – asking, what combination of outreach, affordable offers, and community support will bring these households online? Solving this is as much a social challenge as a technical one.

Georgia’s approach has been to tackle the hardest parts through partnerships. Regional commissions, like the Appalachian Regional Commission (north GA) and Delta Regional Authority (south GA), are involved in funding broadband as a means of economic development publicnewsservice.org publicnewsservice.org. The state also works with universities (Georgia Tech, UGA) to research and pilot new solutions (like TV white space wireless in rural counties).

In conclusion for Georgia (state): The state has made notable strides in mapping and building out broadband – it rose to the challenge by identifying the problem clearly (with data) and leveraging public and private efforts to close gaps. Urban Georgia enjoys world-class internet, and rural Georgia is on a trajectory to vastly improved connectivity within a few years. Yet, bridging the digital divide is about more than cables: affordability and digital literacy remain frontiers to conquer. Georgia is addressing those through targeted programs, but continued commitment will be needed to ensure that all Georgians – whether in downtown Atlanta or deep in Peanut Country – have not just internet access, but also the skills and means to use it effectively.

Conclusion: Two Georgias, One Goal – Bridging the Digital Divide

Both the country of Georgia and the state of Georgia illustrate the global challenges and progress in expanding internet access. The country of Georgia has rapidly transformed its telecommunications infrastructure, leaping ahead with fiber optics and achieving daily internet use rates above 80% investor.ge freedomhouse.org. Its challenges lie in reaching the last remote villages and fostering digital skills among those not yet online – challenges it is meeting with innovative community networks, strategic partnerships (like with OneWeb for satellites investor.ge), and supportive government policy. The U.S. state of Georgia, meanwhile, grapples with a classic urban-rural divide: world-class connectivity in cities, versus lingering gaps in the countryside. Through aggressive mapping, funding, and enabling of local solutions (electric co-op fiber, etc.), the state is steadily connecting those gaps govtech.com broadbandbreakfast.com. Affordability and adoption initiatives are in play to ensure that access translates into actual use, such as subsidies and digital literacy outreach gta.georgia.gov landgrantimpacts.org.

In both Georgias, satellite internet has emerged as a promising equalizer – from Starlink’s launch in the Caucasus providing a lifeline to mountain hamlets samenacouncil.org, to Starlink and similar services giving rural American households speeds once unimaginable outside of cities starnetpros.com reddit.com. While not a panacea, satellite fills critical gaps and adds competitive pressure to terrestrial ISPs.

A few common themes stand out:

  • Infrastructure Investment is Key: Be it Georgia’s Open Net fiber backbone projects or Georgia (USA)’s ARPA-funded rural fiber builds, both regions show that proactive investment and planning yield significant improvements in coverage freedomhouse.org broadbandbreakfast.com. Neither relied purely on market forces; government initiatives played a crucial role in pushing broadband into underserved areas.
  • Urban-Rural Disparities: Both places have near-universal urban access and stubborn rural challenges. The solutions involve creative technologies (fixed wireless, satellites) and local empowerment (community nets in rural Caucasus; electric co-ops in rural Georgia) investor.ge benton.org.
  • Affordability and Literacy: It’s not just about laying cable – both governments recognize the need to make internet affordable and useful. Georgia (country) has kept prices low (20 GEL for basic broadband) expathub.ge, and Georgia (state) is leveraging subsidies to bring costs down for low-income users gta.georgia.gov. Digital literacy programs in each place target those who didn’t grow up with the internet, from Georgian community centers to Georgian 4-H tech workshops freedomhouse.org landgrantimpacts.org.
  • Providers and Competition: In the country, a duopoly (MagtiCom and Silknet) drives nationwide fiber but requires regulatory nudges to ensure smaller ISPs aren’t locked out freedomhouse.org. In the state, a few big cable/telcos dominate, so opening the field to co-ops and alternative ISPs has been vital to reach everyone benton.org benton.org. Both demonstrate that competition (or at least multiple stakeholders) is needed to extend service to the margins.

Going forward, each “Georgia” aims to continue narrowing the gap. Georgia (country) is eyeing 5G and a potential role as a digital transit hub between Europe and Asia investor.ge investor.ge, while ensuring even its smallest villages can log on, possibly via the stars (satellite). Georgia (state) is preparing to deploy incoming federal funds (the BEAD program) to finish off its remaining unserved pockets and focusing on getting every household subscribed and connected, not just passed by a network.

In essence, both are striving to make internet access truly universal – an essential utility available to all citizens. Each faces unique hurdles due to geography and economics, but their recent progress offers a blueprint for bridging digital divides. From Tbilisi to Atlanta, Svaneti’s mountains to the Blue Ridge, and Rustavi to rural Randolph County, the two Georgias are united in the 21st-century mission of connecting their people to opportunity, information, and each other.

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