We've written a lot about RS Fiber, a broadband cooperative operating in two rural counties in south-central Minnesota. This week on the podcast Christopher talks with two representatives from the cooperative which serves almost three thousand members in Renville and Sibley counties. Our first guest is Jake Reiki, a corn and soybean farmer and Board Chair for RS Fiber. We’re also joined by Jenny Palmer, City Administrator for Winthrop and Treasurer for the cooperative.
Christopher, Jake, and Jenny talk about the trials that shaped a network which fostered some division but which the community now takes for granted, its hybrid fiber and wireless approach to connectivity, what having fast, affordable broadband has done for families and business in the area, and where the network sits financially moving ahead as it continues to expand and see robust, steady growth.
With everything from shelter-in-place orders to partying on Florida beaches, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) across the country have had to figure out their own responses to Covid-19. We reached out to a mix to get a sense of what they are seeing and how they are adapting.
Some ISPs have cut all installs and have disbanded their offices as much as possible to work remotely and try to prevent spread of the novel coronavirus. Others have detailed new protocols. Almost all are seeing some increases in bandwidth usage. Lots of ISPs have special, temporary offers to get low-income families signed up during this time of need.
Bandwidth Booms
When it comes to usage, we are seeing a lot more activity. We don't have enough evidence to confirm our recent predictions, but things are more or less where we expected. Most networks usually have peak activity in evening prime time hours, and that remains true. The daytime peaks are expanding, but 4K streaming is keeping those evening peaks much larger.
At Sonic, California's largest independent ISP, they have seen an increase of 25 percent in evening peak, which is remarkable, but well within the capacity of their network to handle it.
Ever since the term “5G” came on the scene, the big ISPs have dedicated themselves to expanding hype about what the technology will accomplish, especially in rural areas. In a recent NBC News Signal segment, Dasha Burns took a look at rural and urban connectivity, the digital divide, and considered the demands and limitations of 5G.
She provides a simple explanation for why 5G can only have a limited impact in rural areas. She also touches on some of the issues that create parallels between the situation for people in urban areas who might not have access to 5G when it finally arrives. To address the urban component of digital equity, Burns went to Newark, New Jersey, and met with students who, due to economic limitations, rely on public access to the Internet.
Burns visits rural Minnesota to check out RS Fiber and talks with one of the many local people in the agriculture industry, a crop consultant, that needs high-quality connectivity from the broadband co-op. We get a peek inside the RS Fiber headquarters. For more on the rural Minnesota cooperative, download our 2016 report, RS Fiber: Fertile Fields for New Rural Internet Cooperative.
As interest in publicly owned broadband network infrastructure increases, local communities seek out new ways to fund municipal networks. Revenue bonds, interdepartmental loans, and avoided costs have been the three most common methods for funding Internet network infrastructure, but local leaders are finding creative approaches to get the job done. The Creative Funding Sources For Fiber Infrastructure fact sheet presents new approaches, pros and cons, and provides examples for further study.
Communities that need better connectivity must consider numerous factors when fiber optic network infrastructure is on the table. In addition to the type of model that’s most appropriate, decisions include vendor selection, and the extent of the network footprint. A critical element to every community network are the choice of funding mechanisms local leaders choose to see the project from idea to implementation.
Communities such as Ammon, Idaho, and Kitsap County in Washington are using fresh ideas to fund their infrastructure development. In this fact sheet we describe the way these new mechanisms work and lay out some benefits along with some potentially negative implications. It’s important that communities take a frank look at all the possible repercussions as they move forward.
This fact sheet will help your own creative funding ideas flow as you look for ways to finance your community’s high-quality Internet access project.
Minnesota’s RS Fiber Cooperative has brought gigabit connectivity to households and businesses in small, rural towns in Renville and Sibley Counties. Within the next few years, they plan to transition households beyond towns from their wireless access as they expand their Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) footprint. A recent MinnPost article features how the network has attracted a different kind of venture to one of the small member towns — a 3D printing business.
Gibbon, Minnesota (pop. 750), is known for quiet streets, rather than the shiny futuristic landscapes one associates with high-tech entrepreneurs. The community, however, was exactly what Adam Stegeman was looking for when searching for a place to set up shop. He had been selling 3D printers for years and was ready to strike out on his own. The Stegeman Family wanted a small-town environment and, since much of Adam’s work requires transfer of data intensive 3D design files, a community that also had access to fast, affordable, reliable connectivity was a must. As one of the RS Fiber Co-op member towns, Gibbon met both requirements.
When MinnPost asked Stegeman about the presence of the network in Gibbon and its influence on his decision to settle there: “That was absolutely huge,” Stegeman said.
The Fabric of the Community
As we covered in our report, RS Fiber: Fertile Fields for New Rural Internet Cooperative, more than 20 communities joined together to establish the broadband cooperative. Community leaders faced challenges along the way, but they pursued their vision. Through a strong sense of regional collaboration and a creative approach, the cooperative now offers better connectivity than is available in many urban areas. They’ve completed phase one, which connects each of the towns with FTTH and provides high-speed fixed wireless Internet access to premises in the extremely rural areas, such as the many local farms. Phase two should begin within the next two years.
For episode 302 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast, Christopher carries on his conversation with Gary Evans, retired President and CEO of Hiawatha Broadband Communications (HBC), an independent ISP in Minnesota. This is the second opportunity for Christopher and Gary to talk about HBC’s historical role in bringing high-quality connectivity to rural areas. Be sure to listen to episode 297, when Gary and Christopher concentrate on the history of the company.
In this conversation, Gary and Christopher focus on the idea of connecting smaller communities in order to bring high-quality connectivity to America beyond its urban centers. As part of the conversation, they discuss how HBC has worked with other systems, including networks in places like Monticello, North St. Paul, and Renville and Sibley Counties in Minnesota, Wisconsin providers, and Burlington, Vermont. There have been some rough patches along with some great successes and Gary addresses both. He talks about connections he’s made, lessons he’s learned, and partnership approaches that work.
Gary also dedicates a few moments to his time and the great work done by the Blandin Foundation, one of Minnesota's most active organizations to bring better Internet access an adoption to Greater Minnesota.
In southwest Ohio, a new broadband cooperative is taking shape and taking steps to bring better connectivity to residents, schools, and businesses in their region. The Greene County Broadband Cooperative recently released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a consultant to conduct a broadband feasibility study. Responses are due October 27.
A Regional Effort
The organization wants to bring gigabit (1,000 Megabit per second) connections to the communities of Cedarville Township, Clifton Village, and surrounding areas. They are especially concerned about bringing fast, affordable, reliable Internet access to the Cedarcliff School District and students in the area. The cooperative also notes that they hope to expand access to other townships in the eastern areas of the county in the future.
Spectrum Cable, AT&T, and satellite providers offer Internet access to premises within the 39 square miles to be studied. There is a small amount of commercial fiber, but not enough to support the needs of the region. The RFP describes the situation as:
Service speeds provided in the villages and in limited rural areas are 12-50 mega-bits per-second. Much of the service area has either a single DSL provider or satellite Internet service, both of which fail to meet the FCC’s standard of broadband speed. Combined with the data usage caps of wireless and satellite Internet providers, most rural residents have an Internet access that is functionally useless.
Cedarville and Clifton
The residential population of the area too be studied is approximately 9,700 which does not include an additional 3,700 students who attend Cedarville University. Because the University has its own fiber optic infrastructure, students attending the college don’t have the same connectivity problems as local residents. Of the students attending the local public schools, 64 percent use DSL at home that hampers they ability to complete online homework assignments.
The broadband cooperative recognizes that the area’s economic development prospects depend on better local connectivity. According to the RFP, businesses have left the area or chosen not to expand in Cedarville due to poor Internet access options.
Mozilla’s All Access Pass with Veronica Belmont explores local broadband initiatives in episode 6. She sends reporter Dominic Girard to speak with folks in Renville and Sibley County, Minnesota, to discuss the RS Fiber Cooperative.
Girard talks with Mark Erickson who spearheaded the project and describes how difficult is was for farmers who needed better connectivity for 21st century agriculture. Jake Rieke, a local farmer, shares the concerns he described with us in episode 198 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast - how awful Internet access could negatively impact his family’s future.
The crew also interviews Angela Siefer from the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) who describes the local desires to invest in better connectivity but state barriers that often interrupt those efforts. Angela gets into the ripples those barriers and access to the Internet interrupts the ability for women, people of color, lower-income folks, and the LGBTQ community to participate in civic engagement.
The show also ventures to the way a group of entrepreneurs are using the Internet to help Syrian refugees adjust to a new life. Their program has changed people from refugees to coders sought out by tech companies.
The show examines how access to the Internet - or lack of it - has become a factor that impacts one's life for the better or worse.
As if bringing high-quality connectivity to rural central Minnesota wasn’t enough, RS Fiber Cooperative has recently established the “Cornerstone Member” program. Now that gigabit connectivity is available, existing residential customers can upgrade from 100 Megabits per second (Mbps) with no price increase. As long as they continue service uninterrupted through 2017, they offer stands.
General Manager Toby Brummer:
“We wanted to do something for those customers who made that early commitment to RS Fiber. We thought they should be recognized in some special way for their loyalty and support of the cooperative. Future Internet applications will likely require higher speeds and this will set our customers up for broadband success for the foreseeable future.”
It's What They Do
The upgrade to gigabit connectivity for existing subscribers with no increase in price follows the same pattern we’ve seen from other publicly owned networks. Recently, we presented detailed data from municipal networks in Tennessee that showed how rates have changed very little over decades, even though speeds have consistently increased.
Cooperatives around the country have built on their long legacy of delivering essential infrastructure by starting to deliver next-generation Internet services. Here, we cover the basics of cooperatives in rural areas and then discuss the details of electric and telephone cooperatives that have already branched out into Internet service. Finally, we highlight the first fiber optic cooperative provider, and discuss how other communities have better Internet service through building their own networks.
Cooperatives are part of the fabric of rural America. The member owners control the cooperative: each person receiving service is a member of the cooperative and can directly vote in elections for the Board of Directors or even become a member of the Board.
Starting in the 1930s, the U.S. Department of Agriculture supported communities as they created more than 900 electric cooperatives across the country. In the 1950s, the federal government again supported communities building telephone networks, crisscrossing the country with telephone cooperatives to connect rural communities.
Each technology brought new markets, revitalized economies, and revolutionized industries. Cooperatives have a long history of building and maintaining essential infrastructure and providing excellent service in rural communities. Now they have the chance to do that again by building next-generation networks for Internet service.
Rural Public Policies
Rural areas face a number of challenges that urban and suburban communities do not. Low population density coupled with rough terrain can make building infrastructure challenging. Added to these factors, rural communities may not have access to the same financial resources as larger towns and cities do.
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Cooperatives, however, have made infrastructure projects work in rural communities for nearly a century. They have access to funding from their membership base, local banks, and often the federal government. Some state governments have expanded their broadband grant and loan programs to include electric cooperatives. Other states have clarified laws and policies to recognize that electric cooperatives can build fiber networks for Internet service using their current infrastructure. A few states have even removed legislative hurdles that stymied investments by electric cooperatives. Technically, the 1996 Telecommunications Act, Section 253, prohibits states from stopping any co-op from offering Internet service, but co-ops in many states are loathe to challenge state law in court.
North Carolina
In 2019, the state removed restrictions that prevented electric cooperatives from using USDA funding for non-electrical purposes, such as broadband networks. Our 2016 report, North Carolina Connectivity: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, highlighted how this roadblock kept the state’s electric co-ops from providing service to many rural communities.
Tennessee
During the 2017 legislative session, this state has clarified the language in its laws to allow electric cooperatives to build networks for Internet service.
Indiana
Cooperatives already have access to utility poles, easements, and Rights-of-Way in the communities that they serve. Indiana, however, needed to clarify that electric co-ops can use this access to provide Internet service, so it passed the FIBRE Act. Other states, including Georgia, Maryland, and Texas, have since followed suit.
Minnesota & Colorado
Minnesota and Colorado have made funding easier to access for cooperatives interested in providing Internet service. Both states have designed grant programs that promote local solutions to connectivity problems. In Minnesota, cooperatives provide most of the Fiber-to-the-Home Internet service thanks in no small part to that grant program.
Overbuild Or Underbuild?
In Community Broadband Bits Podcast Episode 91, Christopher Mitchell and Lisa Gonzalez discusses strategies for building Internet infrastructure in rural are. What do communities need to thrive?
More than 900 rural electric cooperatives provide electricity to about 12 percent of the U.S. population. Their service area, however, covers more than half of the total land, nearly 2 million square miles. About 90 rural electric co-ops have embarked on fiber optic projects to increase Internet access for their members.
Several of these electric cooperatives started by building fiber optic lines to substations and large demand centers to increase the reliability of the electric system through better monitoring. This could then form the backbone of a network for Internet service to businesses and residents.
Articles and Interviews
We have written many articles and collected several reports detailing how electric cooperatives have tried to increase Internet access in their communities. These stories show the many different ways electric cooperatives have structured partnerships and programs for their members.
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Several electric cooperatives provide Internet service themselves. Some started pilot projects, while others built out to their entire service area. The Fiber-to-the-Home project by Valley Electric Association boosted the local economy in Pahrump, Nevada. The co-op has already added 31 new jobs because of the fiber service.
Others partner with an existing telephone cooperative or telephone company. Ouachita Electric in Arkansas is one of the many cooperatives to have done this. By combining their resources and expertise, this partnership is able to extend electric and Internet service throughout much of southern Arkansas.
Many electric cooperatives work together, such as Sho-Me Power in Missouri and LS Networks in Oregon. These cooperatives have provided connectivity for local ISPs and businesses, and now are looking to connect residents.
In episode 229 of the Community Broadband Bits podcast, Jon Chambers, the former head of the FCC Office of Strategic Planning and Policy Analysis, describes how electric cooperatives have the potential to bring Internet access to unserved rural America.
Mel Coleman, president of NRECA and CEO of North Arkansas Electric Cooperative, joined the podcast in episode 243 to discuss how the electric co-op had improved Internet access for its members and what other cooperatives are doing.
This is a list of the rural electric cooperatives that have programs and projects to increase connectivity in their service areas. They do not all provide Fiber-to-the-Home. Some only offer fiber connections to businesses or provide wireless last mile connections while others focus on dark fiber and fiber transport services for other Internet Service Providers. (Total: 109) (Last updated: 12/2019)
Electric Cooperative
State
Project
Central Alabama Electric Cooperative
Alabama
FTTH (announced)
Joe Wheeler Electric Membership Corporation
Alabama
FTTH (announced)
North Alabama Electric Cooperative
Alabama
FTTH
Tombigbee Electric Cooperative (freedom FIBER)
Alabama
FTTH
Wiregrass Electric Cooperative
Alabama
Fiber backbone (under construction) — collaboration with cable company to connect members
Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative (WAVE Rural Connect)
Arkansas
FTTH
Craighead Electric Cooperative Corporation (Empower)
Arkansas
FTTH
North Arkansas Electric Cooperative (NEXT)
Arkansas
FTTH
Ouachita Electric Cooperative (ARIS)
Arkansas
FTTH — collaboration with telephone company
Ozarks Electric Cooperative (OzarksGo)
Arkansas
FTTH
South Central Arkansas Electric Cooperative (South Central Connect)
Arkansas
FTTH
Anza Electric Cooperative (ConnectAnza)
California
FTTH
Plumas-Sierra Rural Electric Cooperative (Plumas-Sierra Telecommunications)
California
FTTH & wireless with fiber backbone
San Luis Valley Rural Electric Cooperative (Ciello)
Colorado
FTTH
Delta-Montrose Electric Association (Elevate Fiber)
Colorado
FTTH
Southeast Colorado Power Association (SECOM)
Colorado
FTTH
Yampa Valley Electric Association (Luminate Broadband)
Colorado
FTTH
Blue Ridge Mountain EMC
Georgia & North Carolina
FTTH
Habersham Electric Membership Corporation (Trailwave; North Georgia Network Cooperative)
Georgia
FTTH; FTTB and Schools
Jefferson Energy Cooperative
Georgia
FTTB — collaboration with Pineland Telephone Cooperative
Illinois Electric Cooperative
Illinois
FTTH
Jo-Carrol Energy (Sand Prairie)
Illinois
FTTH & wireless with fiber backbone
Jackson County Rural Electric Membership Corporation (Jackson Connect)
Indiana
FTTH
Johnson County Rural Electric Membership Corporation
Indiana
FTTH — collaboration with NineStar Connect
NineStar Connect (merger between Central Indiana Power and Hancock Telecom)
Indiana
FTTH
Orange County Rural Electric Membership Corporation
Indiana
FTTH
South Central Indiana Rural Electric Membership Corporation
Indiana
FTTH
Tipmont Rural Electric Membership Corporation (Wintek)
Indiana
FTTH
Allamakee-Clayton Electric Cooperative (AC Skyways)
Iowa
Wireless with fiber backbone
Maquoketa Valley Rural Electric Cooperative (MVLink)
Iowa
FTTH
Bulter Electric Cooperative (Velocity)
Kansas
FTTH
Warren Rural Electric Cooperative Corporation
Kentucky
FTTH pilot projects (announced) — collaborations with North Central Telephone Company and Franklin Electric Power Board
Great Lakes Energy (Truestream)
Michigan
FTTH
Midwest Energy Cooperative (Midwest Energy and Communications)
Michigan
FTTH
Tri-County Electric Cooperative (HomeWorks Connect)
Michigan
FTTH
Arrowhead Electric Cooperative (True North Broadband)
Minnesota
FTTH
Meeker Cooperative Light and Power Association (Vibrant Broadband)
Minnesota
Wireless with fiber backbone — collaboration with Mabel Cooperative Telephone Company and Spring Grove Communications
MiEnergy Electric Cooperative
Minnesota
FTTH & wireless with fiber backbone
Mille Lacs Energy Cooperative (XStream Internet)
Minnesota
FTTH — collaboration with telephone cooperative CTC
Roseau Electric Cooperative
Minnesota
FTTH (announced) — collaboration with local telephone company
Alcorn County Electric Power Association (ACE Fiber)
Mississippi
FTTH (announced)
Coast Electric Power Association (CoastConnect)
Mississippi
FTTH (announced)
Delta Electric Power Association
Mississippi
FTTH
Monroe County Electric Power Association (M-Pulse Fiber)
Mississippi
FTTH (announced)
Natchez Trace Electric Power Association (NT Spark)
Mississippi
FTTH
Northcentral Mississippi Electric Power Association (Northcentral Connect)
Mississippi
FTTH
Northeast Mississippi Electric Power Association (North East Fiber, LLC/NE SPARC)
Mississippi
FTTH
Pearl River Valley Electric Power Association (PearlComm Fiber)
Mississippi
FTTH (Announced)
Prentiss County Electric Power Association
Mississippi
FTTH (announced)
Singing River Electric Power Association (Singing River Connect)
Mississippi
FTTH (pilot)
Southern Pine Electric Power Association
Mississippi
FTTH
Tallahatchie Valley Electric Power Association (TVI-Fiber)
Mississippi
FTTH (announced)
Tippah Electric Power Association
Mississippi
FTTH (announced)
Tishomingo County Electric Power Association
Mississippi
FTTH
Tombigbee Electric Power Association
Mississippi
FTTH (announced)
Barry Electric Cooperative (goBEC)
Missouri
FTTH
Callaway Electric (Callabyte Technology)
Missouri
FTTH — collaboration with Kingdom Telephone Cooperative
Co-Mo Electric Cooperative (Co-Mo Connect)
Missouri
FTTH
Grundy Electric Cooperative (Mid-States Services)
Missouri
FTTH
Pemiscot Dunklin Electric Cooperative (Pemiscot Dunklin Fiber)
Missouri
FTTH
Ralls County Electric Cooperative (Ralls Technologies)
Missouri
FTTH
SEMO Electric Cooperative (GoSEMO Fiber)
Missouri
FTTH
United Electric Cooperative (United Fiber)
Missouri
FTTH
Crawford Electric Cooperative / Sho-Me Power Electric Cooperative (Sho-Me Technologies)
Missouri
FTTB & Transport Services
Gascoasage Electric Cooperative / Sho-Me Power Electric Cooperative (Sho-Me Technologies)
Missouri
FTTB & Transport Services
Howell-Oregon Electric Cooperative / Sho-Me Power Electric Cooperative (Sho-Me Technologies)
Missouri
FTTB & Transport Services
Intercounty Electric Cooperative Association / Sho-Me Power Electric Cooperative (Sho-Me Technologies)
Missouri
FTTB & Transport Services
Laclede Electric Cooperative / Sho-Me Power Electric Cooperative (Sho-Me Technologies)
Missouri
FTTB & Transport Services
Se-Ma-No Electric Cooperative / Sho-Me Power Electric Cooperative (Sho-Me Technologies)
Missouri
FTTB & Transport Services
Southwest Electric Cooperative / Sho-Me Power Electric Cooperative (Sho-Me Technologies)
Missouri
FTTB & Transport Services
Webster Electric Cooperative / Sho-Me Power Electric Cooperative (Sho-Me Technologies)
Missouri
FTTB & Transport Services
White River Valley Electric Cooperative / Sho-Me Power Electric Cooperative (Sho-Me Technologies)
Missouri
FTTB & Transport Services
Valley Electric Association (Valley Communications Association)
Nevada
FTTH
Continental Divide Electric Cooperative (Red Bolt Broadband)
New Mexico
FTTH
Kit Carson Electric Cooperative (Kit Carson Internet)
New Mexico
FTTH
Delaware County Electric Cooperative
New York
FTTH — collaboration with local telephone companies
Otsego Electric Cooperative (OEConnect)
New York
FTTH
French Broad Electric Membership Corporation
North Carolina
FTTH
Lumbee River Electric Membership Corporation (Bluewave Communications NC)
North Carolina
FTTH — collaboration with Horry Telephone Cooperative
Roanoke Electric Cooperative (Roanoke Connect)
North Carolina
FTTH
Consolidated Electric Cooperative
Ohio
FTTH
East Central Oklahoma Cooperative (ecoLINK)
Oklahoma
FTTH (under construction)
Lake Region Electric Cooperative (Lake Region Technology & Communications)
Oklahoma
FTTH
Northeast Oklahoma Electric Cooperative (Bolt Fiber Optic Services)
Oklahoma
FTTH
Oklahoma Electric Cooperative (OEC Fiber)
Oklahoma
FTTH
Consumers Power (Peak Internet)
Oregon
FTTP (open access network) — collaboration with Pioneer Consolidated and Stayton Cooperative Telephone Company
Central Electric Cooperative (LS Networks)
Oregon
FTTB, Schools, & Transport Services
Douglas Electric Cooperative (Douglas Fast Net; LS Networks)
Oregon
FTTH; FTTB, Schools, & Transport Services
Hood River Electric Cooperative (CACHE Communications; LS Networks)
Oregon
FTTH; FTTB, Schools, & Transport Services
Umatilla Electric Cooperative (LS Networks)
Oregon
FTTB, Schools, & Transport Services
West Oregon Electric Cooperative (LS Networks)
Oregon
FTTB, Schools, & Transport Services
Sullivan County Rural Electric Cooperative
Pennsylvania
FTTH (announced)
Tri-County Rural Electric Cooperative
Pennsylvania
FTTH (announced)
Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative (Carolina Connect)
South Carolina
FTTH
Newberry Electric Cooperative (Carolina Connect)
South Carolina
FTTH — collaboration with Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative
Appalachian Electric Cooperative
Tennessee
FTTH
Cumberland Electric Membership Cooperative (Cumberland Connect)
Tennessee
FTTH (announced)
Forked Deer Electric Cooperative (Forked Deer Connect)
Tennessee
FTTH
Gibson Electric Membership Corporation (Gibson Connect)
Tennessee
FTTH
Holston Electric Cooperative (Holston Connect)
Tennessee
FTTH
Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative (MLConnect)
Tennessee
FTTH
Sequachee Valley Electric Cooperative (SVEConnect)
Tennessee
FTTH
Tri-County Electric Cooperative
Tennessee
FTTH
Volunteer Electric Cooperative (Twin Lakes, powered by VEC)
Tennessee
FTTH — collaboratin with Twin Lakes Telephone Cooperative
Bandera Electric Cooperative (BEC Fiber)
Texas
FTTH
Grayson Collin Electric Cooperative (Grayson Collin Communications)
Texas
FTTH
Guadalupe Valley Electric Cooperative
Texas
FTTH
Jackson Electric Cooperative (MyJEC.net)
Texas
FTTH & wireless with fiber backbone
Taylor Electric Cooperative (Access Fiber)
Texas
FTTH
Victoria Electric Cooperative (Infinium)
Texas
FTTH & wireless with fiber backbone
BARC Electric Cooperative (BARC Connects)
Virginia
FTTH
Central Virginia Electric Cooperative (Firefly Broadband)
Virginia
FTTH
Craig-Botetourt Electric Cooperative
Virginia
FTTH (announced)
Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative (EMPOWER Broadband)
Virginia
FTTH
Prince George Electric Cooperative (Ruralband)
Virginia
FTTH
Columbia Rural Electric Association (Columbia iConnect)
Washington
FTTH Pilot Project
Orcas Power & Light Cooperative (Rock Island Communications)
Washington
FTTH
Chippewa Valley Electric Cooperative (Ntera)
Wisconsin
FTTH — collaboration with telephone cooperative Citizens Connected
Telephone Cooperatives
There are about 260 telephone cooperatives in the United States. Many provide Internet service as a natural extension of their existing infrastructure. Many started out by providing dial-up and DSL services, but only recently have begun to transition to Fiber-to-the-Home. Some have already transitioned to an all-fiber network, having upgraded everyone in their territory to fiber.
The Rural Broadband Association (NTCA) has a gigabit certification program in order to draw attention to how many small telephone companies cooperatives have built these next-generation networks.
Articles & Interviews
We have featured a number of these cooperatives on our website. Some cooperatives choose to work with local governments or electric cooperatives while others focus on providing service alone. Below is just a small selection of the many cooperatives that have built Fiber-to-the-Home networks.
Episode 188 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast features Eric Cramer, the President and CEO of Wilkes Communications/RiverStreet Networks. He explained how the telephone cooperative has built a Fiber-to-the-Home network throughout several counties in northern North Carolina.
Cooperatives are not just telephone and electric. There is now a workable model for Internet cooperatives created from scratch. RS Fiber in Minnesota is the first cooperative formed for the express purpose of providing reliable, high-speed Internet service.
Yampa Valley Electric Association (Luminate Broadband)
Colorado
Electric
Yucca Telecommunications Systems
New Mexico
Telephone
Community Broadband Bits Podcast Episodes
Listen to our collection of Community Broadband Bits Podcasts to learn firsthand about how electric cooperatives have made the decision to provide Internet service.
What does it take for a telephone co-op in North Carolina to provide FTTH? President and CEO of Wilkes Communications and RiverStreet Networks explains