WASHINGTON COUNTY TO BE INCLUDED IN FIBER OPTIC LOOP

  

In two years, Washington County will be one of seven area counties tied together by a fiber optic loop.

The high-speed network, shaped like a figure eight, will run through Washington, Burleson, Grimes, Madison, Leon, Brazos, and Robertson counties. The $22 million project is funded by the Brazos Valley Council of Governments and the Healthcare Connect Fund.

Officials from the Brazos Valley Council of Governments say rural healthcare providers will be the first to have access to the high-speed internet. Once it is established in places like jails and schools, the project will then be available to the private sector.

The Brazos Valley Council of Governments has worked towards creating the fiber loop for the past eight years.