THOMASVILLE — Thomas County commissioners have taken a step they hope will strengthen their chance for a grant to expand broadband coverage in the county.

Commissioners approved a Broadband Ready Community Ordinance at their meeting at last Tuesday. 

Last month, commissioners approved two grant applications to help Windstream and AT&T provide broadband connections to unserved and underserved portions of the county.

While the ordinance wasn’t a stipulation of the grant application, County Manager Mike Stephenson said it could help.

“We are expecting it to strengthen our application,” he said.

Along with the ordinance, the county also is expected to amend its comprehensive plan to include a broadband element. 

“All that language is to put on record that you are interested in providing broadband infrastructure in your county,” Stephenson told commissioners. “Then you get a designation from the state that you are broadband ready.”

County commissioners heard at a recent Association of County Commissioners of Georgia meeting about Broadband Ready Communities. According to the Department of Community Affairs, there are 28 counties and 12 cities certified as Broadband Ready Communities. 

The grants, if approved, could bring  fiber optic cable making “gigabit-speed broadband access” available to 4,300 unserved or underserved homes in the unincorporated county.