STRONG — Selectmen were told Tuesday evening that progress is being made to deliver affordable high-speed internet access in Franklin County.

“We are, right now, at the stage where we’re listening to the providers,” Greater Franklin Development Council Executive Director Charlie Woodworth said.

Those showing interest include Charter Communications, now called Spectrum, and FairPoint, which is now Consolidated Communications.

If residents decide to invest in expanding broadband access, along with other communities, savings could come from sharing costs.

Most homes and businesses don’t have choices for affordable service providers. The most common option is DSL, which uses existing phone lines to deliver internet service to homes and businesses. It’s a level beyond dial-up speeds and uses the same wires and jacks as a standard telephone. DSL internet signals can deteriorate the farther the customer’s home or business is from the point of service.

TDS is the local phone company in Strong. It provides DSL service through an aging infrastructure.

Strong has 632 phone customers and 45 miles of fiber, which does not provide enough of a profit margin for any service provider.

In another issue at the meeting, selectmen reviewed options for a a financing plan to pave the Pond Road.

“The whole project is $210,000 minus a $40,000 gift,” Selectman Mike Pond said.

He suggested reviewing the paving schedule to see if some of the annual appropriations could be allocated for the project.

Selectmen agreed to review additional information at their next meeting.