To Hargray Communications and the City of Lincoln:

The residents of Northern Talladega County in Alabama, on the outskirts of the City of Lincoln, are without access to high speed internet. The majority are within a few miles of the elementary, middle, and high School, in which many families have children in attendance. In this highly digital age we are increasingly dependent on fast reliable internet in order to function on a basic level. Reliable high speed internet has evolved from being a luxury to a basic household need.

Many households use the internet to pay bills, shop, do homework, and work from home (telecommute). The availability of high speed internet spurs population growth to the benefit of local business and municipalities. Prospective residents are now looking for areas where they have access to internet as working from home continues to become more common and many small business owners operate from home offices. The lack of a reliable internet hinders the ability for small towns to grow.

Children starting in the 3rd grade are being assigned Chromebooks from school in order to facilitate learning at home. Many educational videos and learning tools are available online but are inaccessible at home while the very buses that transport our children to and from school have high speed internet for the children to use while in transit.

Furthermore, many of today's entertainment options are reliant on internet. Everything from playing video games, listening to music, to streaming movies and TV shows now almost entirely rely on internet to function.

In closing, we the undersigned implore the City of Lincoln and Hargray Communications review the current coverage zones and expand service to those of us in need.