Holston Electric Cooperative (HEC) in Hamblen and Hawkins County, Tennessee, is about to begin Phase I of its plan to deploy fiber optic connectivity to more than 30,000 members. The multi-year project will bring broadband to the rural area and create smart grid efficiencies for the electric system.… Read More
Matthew Marcus published this opinion piece in The Daily Yonder in March on the upcoming federal auction for rural broadband dollars.… Read More
The state of Virginia has many rural pockets on both the Atlantic coast and the interior valley areas. These geographic challenges offer a roadblock to connectivity from incumbent Internet Service Providers, that’s why cooperatives are stepping up to offer connectivity to their member-owners.… Read More
Rural Californians have similar problems as many in rural America, a lack of high-quality, affordable Internet access. The story of the Anza Electric Cooperative in rural southern California details how they are expanding and meeting the needs of its 4,000 rural members.… Read More
When the San Luis Valley Rural Electric Cooperative (SLVREC) decided to invest in fiber for more efficient electrical operations, they also took the first step toward improving Internet access for residents and businesses in Colorado’s San Luis Valley. The cooperative is building a network for both members and local nonmembers in some of Colorado’s least populated and worst connected areas.
Lake Region Electric Cooperative offers FTTH service to more than 1,000 homes in the rural communities around the city of Tahlequah, Oklahoma. As with electrification, the cooperative is once again providing a much needed utility where no private company would go. This is the internetification of rural America.… Read More
A Tennessee communications cooperative will soon bring fiber connectivity to Kentucky’s Warren County. North Central Telephone Cooperative (NCTC) will offer high-quality Internet access via gigabit (1,000 Megabits per second) connectivity via its North Central Communications, Inc., subsidiary. Starting With New Construction … Read More
This week, our Building Local Power podcast contains a conversation between guest host Nick Stumo-Langer and ILSR researchers Hannah Trostle and Christopher Mitchell to discuss the importance of connectivity in rural America and the barriers high quality local investment. The … Read More
Vernon Communications Cooperative (VC Co-op), serving much of rural Vernon County, Wisconsin, was recently named a Certified Gig-Capable Provider by NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association. VC Co-op joins a growing list of rural cooperatives that are offering gigabit connectivity to members in places … Read More
