30 June 2023, KANSAS CITY, MO Conexon, a leader in rural fiber broadband, and five electric cooperatives in Florida have obtained approximately USD 56 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) financial awards to build fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) networks with multiple gigabits of capacity in rural areas of the state.
Conexon has expanded its operations across the state in the past year, starting with its work on Florida’s first electric co-op FTTH project in 2022 with Tri-County Electric Cooperative. Conexon assisted co-ops in working with counties and other broadband bodies to secure crucial funding before building networks with the co-ops.
According to Julius Hackett, CEO of Tri-County Electric Cooperative, “The availability of dependable and reasonably priced high-speed internet improves the possibilities of our communities. “It draws in new residents while enabling those who already reside here to prosper and take advantage of fresh opportunities. Digital equity is becoming closer to reality thanks to statewide cooperation and support for co-op broadband.
To eventually connect with the co-ops’ approximately 100,000 members, Conexon and its Florida co-op partners are constructing networks that jointly span 20 counties. Conexon’s internet service provider (ISP) division, Conexon Connect, handles network design, construction, and some operational aspects for the Central Florida Electric and Suwannee Valley Electric projects, as well as serving as the ISP for the Tri-County Electric, Glades Electric, and Escambia River Electric projects.
Jeff Brewington, CEO of Glades Electric Cooperative, said, “The partnership between Conexon and electric cooperatives has sparked a movement that will transform Florida’s rural communities into destinations that rival any other urban or suburban location in the country.” These crucial initiatives are becoming a reality thanks to the forethought and dedication of our Governor’s office, counties, and local technology planning teams, bringing superior broadband to rural Florida.
Following its success in other states, most notably Georgia, whose 2019 legislation opened the door for co-ops to provide broadband, Conexon is expanding in Florida. Since then, Conexon has collaborated with 13 Georgia co-ops to serve about 500,000 members. The construction of about 11,000 kilometers of fiber has made broadband available to them.
To provide fiber to the home in rural locations, Conexon collaborates with Rural Electric Cooperatives. The organization comprises experts with decades of combined expertise in business planning, network construction, marketing, and sales in the telecommunications industry and electric cooperatives. Conexon provides end-to-end broadband deployment and operations support to its electric cooperative clients from when a project is conceived until it is long-term sustainable.
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 financial awards to build fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) networks with multiple gigabits of capacity in rural areas of the state.){kind=link}