TRYON, NC / August 21, 2015 – PANGAEA Internet (PANGAEA), the leading commercial provider of high-speed fiber optic internet service for Polk and Rutherford Counties, is a non-profit company that is focused on the community, not shareholders. As part of this commitment, PANGAEA is involved in several projects designed to enhance economic development, improve the quality of life, and create a broad platform of innovation enabling underserved areas.

Among these projects are multiple efforts to deliver free public Wi-Fi in the PANGAEA service area. After a successful pilot project brought free Wi-Fi to downtown Tryon, a recent grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission has expanded the project to the downtown business districts of Chimney Rock, Lake Lure, and Saluda. As shown in the accompanying graph, use of the service has grown dramatically during the summer tourist season.

“Saluda, Lake Lure, and Chimney Rock Village share a business and tourism corridor,” said Ron Walters, Executive Director of PANGAEA Internet. “They are a hub of tourism in the region and a key driver of employment and economic activity. Our free public Wi-Fi network provides a convenient, reliable, and economical alternative to cellular data services.”

With this expansion of public Wi-Fi, more than 11,000 users have connected to PANGAEA Wi-Fi in the last month. Stu Davidson, PANGAEA’s Operations Director, said “the utilization and performance of this network has far exceeded my expectations. The communities have provided valuable input into the network design and I’m really pleased by the impact it is having.”

Another ongoing Wi-Fi project called “Connect” is a collaboration between PANGAEA, Facebook, the Rutherford County Schools, and the towns of Forest City, Rutherfordton and Spindale. Connect provides free public Wi-Fi service to areas with high concentrations of students, enabling them to take full advantage of Rutherford County Schools’ 1:1 program, which has provided a notebook computer to each middle and high school student since 2011.

Since the project launched, Connect now provides service to more than 5700 users each month. “Connect and our community collaboration continues to invest in our region’s students,” said Walters. “With the increasing number of users we have seen since we began this project, it’s clear that our efforts are making a difference in our communities.”

PANGAEA Internet (pan-GEE-ah) is a non-profit provider of high-speed fiber optic internet service. Our network currently serves customers at over 150 locations across Polk and Rutherford Counties, including public school districts, city and county governments, health care facilities, and local businesses. Visit us online at www.pangaea.us, or contact Executive Director Ron Walters at 828-859-3072.

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TRYON, NC / April 28, 2015 – PANGAEA Internet (PANGAEA), the leading commercial provider of high-speed fiber optic internet service for Polk and Rutherford Counties, North Carolina, has received the Cornerstone Award from Broadband Communities magazine. The award was presented to PANGAEA Executive Director Ron Walters at the Broadband Communities Summit, held April 14-16 in Austin, TX.

Each year, Broadband Communities assembles a committee of industry leaders, analysts, and writers to honor a select number of recipients for outstanding accomplishments in the area of delivering telecommunications for the benefit of the end user. The 2015 presentation marks PANGAEA’s second Cornerstone Award, having also received the award in 2004.

According to the judging committee, “We can think of no better illustration of the value of a fiber network than the story of this non-profit serving Polk and Rutherford Counties that began on such a small scale and now connects middle mile and last mile customers at some 150 locations, including businesses, healthcare facilities, government offices and all the public schools.”

Additional comments from the judges acknowledged

PANGAEA’s impact on:

Education – “PANGAEA brings a wealth of resources to

students and teachers, helping students compete with

cohorts in much richer school districts.”

Healthcare – “Facilities served by the PANGAEA

network experience greater productivity, speedier access

to information and more effective use of professionals.”

Government – “The local and county governments that are customers of PANGAEA are equipped to communicate with other government entities instantaneously, and to pool resources and reduce costs while improving services.” Judges also noted the impact of PANGAEA Internet on regional economic development, citing PANGAEA’s involvement with the construction of the Facebook data center, the Ameridial call center, and other efforts to support economic growth in Polk and Rutherford counties.

“On behalf of our board of directors, staff and supporters, we are very pleased to be a 2015 Cornerstone Award recipient,” said Walters. “This award acknowledges and reinforces our efforts to support our community and improve the overall quality of life for local residents.”

Ron Walters receives the 2015 Cornerstone Award from Jane Patterson, President, The View Forward – Go Forward. Photo credit: Rachel Ellner for Broadband Communities magazine.

Grant Program

PANGAEA Internet’s grant program is available to assist potential customers with installation costs for our “Speed of Light” fiber optic internet service.

Read more about this program and submit an application on the Grant Application page of our website.

Testimonial Winner

Congratulations to our first quarter winner of a
$200 Invoice Credit
Wanangwa Dever, Polk County Public Library (Columbus)

Read Wanangwa’s testimonial on the Testimonial Page of our website.   If you haven’t already submitted a customer testimonial, please take a few minutes and give us your feedback.  Just click this link and provide a few sentences regarding how PANGAEA Internet has impacted your organization.  The drawing is conducted quarterly.

Welcome to our New Customers

Gilkey Lumber Company (Rutherfordton)
Washburn Law, PLLC (Columbus)
Carolina Computer Solutions (Columbus)
Pisgah Legal Services (Spindale)
Green River Acres, LLC (Lake Lure)
Huckleberry’s Restaurant (Tryon)

Click above to read the “Fast Friends” story featuring Facebook and Isothermal Community College. “Mutually realizing the need for workers with unique and technical skills, Facebook and Isothermal forged a partnership.” PANGAEA Internet currently provides scholarship funds to eligible Isothermal students attending the College Data Center Institute and Network Technologies programs.

        Meet the Board

“I am very proud of our organization and what it has done to improve connectivity and internet access in our region. We have effected innovative change in the way government, business, and education communicate. Our Board is comprised of technology professionals who know a great deal about the needs of our community, and it has been a pleasure to serve with them.” -Marche Pittman, Director

Ron Walters, our Executive Director, delivered an interesting presentation to the Tryon Rotary Club last week.  Learn more about PANGAEA Internet by visiting our website at https://pangaea.us/

Waiting for Spring

by WALTER DALTON (President, Isothermal Community College, editor@conway.com)

When the ribbon was cut on the Facebook data center in Forest City, N.C., a new day was born. Rutherford County, which had “clothed the world,” had seen its textile mills closed and a way of life altered. Unemployment was rampant. Now, with Facebook’s new facility, the county is a place “where the world connects.” It is also a place where Facebook and Isothermal Community College have formed a strong partnership, which is fueled by mutual support and shared purpose.

Shortly after the groundbreaking in 2010, 700 construction workers took control of the site, previously the home of a large textile mill that had been razed. It is a safe bet that many of these workers had previously worked in the former mill or another like it in the county. A large portion of the workers — welders, pipe fitters, construction workers and others — had been trained at Isothermal Community College.

As the facility has come online and continued to expand, the collaboration between Isothermal and Facebook has grown and deepened through the years, encompassing several initiatives that draw on the community’s strengths.
                                          Facebook has found a lot to like in Forest City, N.C.

Cultivating a 21st Century Workforce

Mutually realizing the need for workers with unique and technical skills to be available to work in the data center, Facebook and Isothermal forged a partnership. Isothermal, which has always been known for its workforce training, created its Data Center Institute with the help of Facebook.

Isothermal instructors worked closely with Facebook employees to develop a certification that prepares students to work in one of the area’s most exciting industries. This 12-day workshop focuses on the technical knowledge required of an entry-level data center employee. It is a hands-on experience in an active learning environment. Content is delivered in modular format focusing on technical concepts. This is followed by a two-day simulation and a certification exam.

To facilitate instruction, Facebook generously donated a rack of servers along with power equipment to the college to simulate actual data center operations. This was particularly important since the equipment, which is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, could not be purchased on the open market — certainly not as a teaching aid for a community college. Quite simply, it gave Isothermal students the amazing opportunity to work closely with cutting-edge technology.

Walter Dalton (l.), president of Isothermal Community College, and Keven McCammon, site manager of Facebook’s data center in Forest City, discuss the server rack that was donated to Isothermal’s Data Center Institute by Facebook.

Since it was first launched, the program has graduated 68 students, nearly all of whom are now working in information technology. This institute earned Isothermal Community College the League of Innovation Award in 2012.

The results of the Isothermal Data Center Institute are impressive. Almost half of the students started work as interns at Facebook. Many obtained full-time jobs with the company through its HR service. Jobs that are touted in national and international media as among the most coveted in technology now belong to the citizens of our area. Several of the DCI graduates went to work for other data centers in the region and have credited the credentials earned at Isothermal as giving them an edge in the hiring process. In fact, a manager from a neighboring major data center took the class just to learn best practices and strategies.

Keven McCammon, site manager for Facebook’s Forest City Data Center, said, “Recruiting and training the highly skilled workers we need is one of the most difficult parts of running a data center. Isothermal’s Data Center Institute is producing homegrown, high-caliber talent, right here in Rutherford County.”

 Building an Advanced Industrial Corridor

In 2014, Isothermal and Facebook worked with others to seek grant funding from the U.S. Department of Labor to create the Global Advanced Industrial Technology Consortium (GAITC), a regional consortium of two- and four-year colleges and universities in three states and globally recognized companies, working to enhance and improve advanced industrial technology training and research. It partners rural and urban areas, ignores political boundaries and embraces economic opportunities. It is intended to improve learning, stimulate innovation and save money through economies of scale.

Although not successful in the first attempt, the consortium will continue to seek funding from DOL and other sources. If that funding is received, an advanced industrial corridor will be created running from Spartanburg, S.C./Spindale, N.C. to Atlanta, Ga., with the aim of creating jobs through cutting-edge training and new product development and perfection. The GAITC partners include North Carolina State University, Spartanburg Community College, Chattahoochee Community College in Georgia, Tri-County Community College in North Carolina, and Western Carolina University, as well as other major companies.

Fostering Innovation in More Ways Than One

“Isothermal” literally means “equal temperature” — the name was given to the college because of Western North Carolina’s Thermal Belt. So it was logical for the college to have a weather station. Facebook made it happen, and with prestigious partners: NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association) and the State Climate Office at North Carolina State University.

The station, located on Isothermal’s main campus in Spindale, provides real-time data for use by the scientific community and the public. A Facebook grant of $15,000 covered the major cost of equipment and installation. Most importantly, the data will be available for instruction in Isothermal’s science classes and will also be available for specific study projects by public school students.

The station is a part of the NC ECONET (North Carolina Environment and Climate Observing Network), which collects data from sensors across the state into a comprehensive database for analytical purposes. “These are research-grade sensors that provide data used by growers emergency managers, and the National Weather Service to improve forecasts,” said Ryan Boyles, director of the State Climate Office. “These sensors and the data they collect support decision-making, but are also available to help train the Isothermal community.”

Ron Walters, executive director of PANGAEA Internet, teaches a recent class at Isothermal Community College’s Data Center Institute.

Rutherford County Public Schools made it a priority to ensure that its students have access to technology, and provided each middle school and high school student with a free laptop computer. The problem was, however, that half of the students did not have Internet access at home.

 “I’m proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish together in the last three years, and know that our partnership has become a model for other data centers across the nation.” — Keven McCammon, site manager for Facebook’s Forest City Data Center

Enter Facebook.

Together with Rutherford County Schools, Isothermal Community College, PANGAEA Internet, and the Town of Forest City, Facebook is working to provide free Wi-Fi to targeted neighborhoods. In Phase I of the project (launched in July 2014), students in 75 to 100 homes were given free Wi-Fi access. In addition to benefiting the local public schools, it will also benefit many Isothermal students who have faced the same access dilemma.

STEM-Related Opportunities

At Isothermal, we hope to build a culture focused on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), or, as Sam Houston of the Science and Math Technology Center in Raleigh would say, “Strategies That Engage the Mind.” Facebook has stepped up to the plate on both accounts by providing support (financial and otherwise) for Isothermal’s Science and Tech Expo, which is part of the North Carolina Science Festival. The expo brings all of the sixth-graders in a two-county area to the main campus of Isothermal for an entire day to experience nearly 50 interactive exhibits.

Lisa Hamrick, a graduate of Isothermal Community College’s Data Center Institute, is now employed at Facebook’s data center, working for contractor Milestone Technologies.

     These are just a few of the initiatives that have grown out of the partnership between Facebook and Isothermal Community College. Facebook’s Keven McCammon said, “Isothermal Community College’s innovation and commitment to workforce and economic development were large factors in Facebook’s decision to locate its data center here. I’m proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish together in the last three years, and know that our partnership has become a model for other data centers across the nation.”

This year Isothermal celebrates its 50^th Anniversary. It is 50 years of providing an affordable, accessible and excellent education, and workforce training to our citizens. In addition, we celebrate and appreciate our partnership with Facebook, a relatively new — but powerful and caring — corporate citizen. In only a short time, Facebook has had a significant impact on our local culture and our local economy. While it has a global presence, it is having a tremendous local impact.

The Isothermal/Facebook partnership already has paid great dividends, and will continue to grow and thrive through a shared vision for a better future. At Isothermal and in our area, it is safe to say that we “like” Facebook.

—————————————————————————————————————

Walter Dalton is the president of Isothermal

Community College and was the 33rd Lieutenant

Governor of North Carolina.