ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Saturday, February 17, 1996            TAG: 9602190008
SECTION: CURRENT                  PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
DATELINE: FLOYD


INTERNET PROVIDER HOOKS UP RURAL AREAS

A business in rural Floyd County is offering Internet access to its own citizens and eight other counties.

Citizens InterNET has created on-line access for computer owners in the counties of Floyd, Montgomery, Giles, Pulaski, Roanoke, Carroll, Craig, Franklin and Patrick, as well as the cities and towns in the region.

The local access organization may be new, but it was created by the 81-year-old Citizens Telephone Cooperative in Floyd.

"An unprecedented opportunity now exists for the region to make a major step into the information age," said Jim Newell, Citizens InterNET general manager.

Users will be charged a flat fee for Internet access.

Fees vary depending on the number of hours spent per month on the Internet. Ten hours costs $10.95, 30 hours is $19.95, 50 hours is $24.95, and unlimited hours cost $99.95.

Citizens has a direct high-speed, fiber-optic connection to the Internet, offering easy connections to other servers such as the Blacksburg Electronic Village. By expanding local access across the region, the system offers users local access from any of its telephone exchanges.

Citizens also has built a network to provide the Floyd County school system with Internet access. "The Internet access that will be available to each classroom in all of our schools will allow us to strengthen our academic programs as we prepare students for the 21st century," said Superintendent Terry Arbogast.

For information, call 745-4101.


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by CNB