While everyone seems to agree that internet expansion into rural areas of Georgia is vital for the economy and for quality of life for all of Georgia’s residents, Democrats and Republicans are arguing over who gets the credit for millions of dollars flowing into the state to make the internet more accessible to Georgia’s most rural residents.

Both Chattooga and Walker Counties are benefiting from the COVID relief funds appropriated by Congress that will see broadband expansion into under-served areas and areas where no internet was available.

Republican leaders in Georgia say that they have been laying the groundwork for internet expansion for years. “Georgia has taken an extraordinarily wise and planful approach to deploying broadband in the state,” said Christopher Nunn, commissioner for the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, which created the state’s broadband map. “All of the hard work we have done in the last several years was instrumental. This is a huge step.”

But Georgia’s Democratic United States Senators and House members are pointing out that every single Republican in Congress from Georgia voted against the funds that are now making broadband expansion possible.

“If Georgia voters had not turned out in record numbers to elect me and Rev. (Raphael) Warnock, we would not have had the votes to deliver these resources for broadband in Georgia,” Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff said.

No matter who gets the credit, Chattooga County will see $3 million in funds from the Federal government for broadband expansion which will be combined with money from internet provider Windstream to upgrade internet service in the county.