Columbia County commissioners decided Tuesday to seek a partnership with other counties in an effort to expand broadband access.

Commissioners committed $9,600 to fund a study and pay application fees in pursuit of a federal grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.

Officials are seeking the Broadband Technology Opportunity Program grant as part of a joint venture with Burke, Glascock, Hancock, Jefferson, Jenkins, Lincoln, McDuffie, Richmond, Taliaferro, Warren, Washington and Wilkes counties.

The money would be used to increase broadband and wireless Internet access in those counties. Funded by the federal stimulus package, the grants would create jobs and provide infrastructure for underserved areas.

The counties don't know how much grant money they could get. That will depend on the federal government's evaluation of their application.

The technical study and application fees are $32,000 per county, but the counties are receiving funding support from the CSRA Regional Commission and CSRA Unified Development Authority to cover some of those costs.

Grant applications are due March 15 and McDuffie County will act as the fiscal agent, meaning it will collect payments from the participating counties, according to commission documents.

Columbia County also is seeking a BTOP grant on its own.

The application was filed last year and officials still are waiting to learn if they qualify for the $10 million to $15 million grant, Deputy Administrator Scott Johnson said.