Tennessee Telecom Association

Joint Project To Bring Broadband Internet To Underserved Areas In Tennessee

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Peytonsville, a small Tennessee community not far from Franklin, is among the first to benefit from a partnership to bring broadband internet to underserved areas in the state.

Middle Tennessee Electric Membership Cooperative and United Communications combined their resources and decades of experience to offer affordable, high-speed internet services. The two organizations, along with the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, announced the plan in August at the Peytonsville Volunteer Fire Hall.

Now, the fire hall has access to a gigabit-speed fiber network, which will enhance firehouse operations, improve mission-critical communication systems and offer many other benefits.

“Our community relies on well-trained volunteers to provide superior emergency services,” says Brian Jones, Peytonsville Fire Chief. “Reliable broadband access has allowed us to incorporate multimedia instruction into a well-rounded training program for our firefighters.”

The effort from Middle Tennessee Electric and United Communications is the first of its kind in the state, combining the efforts and resources of both an electric and a communications company to bring broadband to underserved areas.

Middle Tennessee Electric provides electricity to more than 225,000 residential and business members. The company serves Cannon, Rutherford, Williamson and Wilson counties. United serves Bedford, Franklin, Marshall, Rutherford and Williamson counties.

United Communications offers internet, digital TV and phone services in Middle Tennessee, providing close to 1,000 route-miles of fiber.

The partnership allows both organizations to build a world-class broadband network at the lowest possible cost. “We’re proud to be the first electric cooperative to pursue a partnership of this kind in Tennessee and answer the calls we have long heard from our members. They want and need access to broadband service,” says Chris Jones, president and CEO of Middle Tennessee Electric.

Jones says United Communications is the ideal partner. “They have already built an impressive fiber backbone throughout many areas we serve, which will allow us to work together to more rapidly and cost-effectively expand internet services,” Jones says.
“We are grateful to Gov. Bill Haslam, the Tennessee legislature and the Federal Communications Commission for paving the way for local providers like Middle Tennessee Electric to meet broadband access needs of our members,” Jones says.

The partnership is about two local companies, who share common values, working together to provide a broadband solution for the area, says William Bradford, president and CEO of United Communications. “Ultimately, this will be great for economic development, support smart grid and smart home technologies, and improve the quality of life in Middle Tennessee,” Bradford says.

 

Get Out And Vote!

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The Tennessee Telecommunications Association does not endorse candidates for political office, but Executive Director Levoy Knowles encourages everyone to learn about the candidates and know where each stands on the importance of access to broadband.

“Access to broadband internet is one of the biggest challenges facing the telecommunications industry, both in Tennessee and across the nation,” Knowles says. “We encourage every telco member to vote and urge your families and friends to vote.”

Key dates:

Oct. 9: Last day to register to vote for the Nov. 6 election

Oct. 17-Nov. 1: Early voting for Nov. 6 election

Nov. 6: Election day for federal and state candidates

Tennessee Broadband Accessibility Grant Applications Due Nov. 15

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With the Tennessee Broadband Accessibility Act’s second round of grants, members of the Tennessee Telecommunications Association will continue to play an integral role as broadband access expands.

“I’ve said for years that the challenge of bringing broadband to all Tennesseans would involve a multiprong solution, but that TTA members should be at the center of that,” says Levoy Knowles, executive director of the TTA.

Grants for about $45 million over three years and tax credits for service providers made the first round of grants a success, Knowles says. In the second round, the maximum grant request is again $2 million. And the grant can cover as much as 50 percent of eligible project expenses.

The Broadband Accessibility Grant program is designed to offset capital expenses in the deployment of broadband in unserved areas. The goal of the program is to bring broadband to all Tennesseans and to promote practices that increase broadband deployment.

More than half the grants awarded so far have gone to TTA members. “We’re encouraging our TTA members to apply for these grants and receive more funding as it becomes available,” Knowles says.

Grant applications are due by Nov. 15, and there are a few changes in the guidelines. Grant recipients will be announced in February 2019.

Upcoming Elections Impact Broadband Internet

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Access to broadband internet is one of the biggest challenges facing the telecommunications industry, both in Tennessee and across the nation.

That’s why it’s important to know where each candidate stands on broadband deployment.

While the Tennessee Telecommunications Association doesn’t endorse candidates, it urges all members to learn each candidate’s policy positions before committing to a candidate.

“It’s important to vote for someone who relates to our ideals,” says Levoy Knowles, executive director of the TTA.“The TTA is the winner if we elect candidates who understand the importance of broadband and what it means to our future.”

Key dates:

Aug. 2: Federal and state primary election and county general election

Oct. 9: Last day to register to vote for the Nov. 6 election

Oct. 17-Nov. 1: Early voting for Nov. 6 election

Nov. 6: Election day for federal and state candidates

Governor Haslam Adds $5 Million To Broadband Grants

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In his 2018-2019 budget amendment, Gov. Bill Haslam took advantage of increasing revenues to fund projects supporting school safety, opioid addiction, aeronautics job training — and rural broadband.

The amendment added $5 million in nonrecurring grant money to the Tennessee Broadband Accessibility Grant program. Coupling that with the $10 million already allotted for the grants, the state is offering $15 million to broadband providers in support of bringing broadband to some of the states’ rural communities.

“By significantly increasing the amount of grant funding for these projects, the governor is showing not just that broadband is essential for all Tennesseeans, but also that he has faith in providers like our TTA members to build the networks in the rural parts of our state,” said TTA Executive Director Levoy Knowles. “TTA members received about half of the funding in the first round of grants, and as Tennessee’s rural broadband experts, I would expect another strong showing the next time the grants are announced.”

The initial round of grants, announced in January, included five grants for TTA members:

  • Aeneas Communications: $190,000 to serve parts of Hardeman County
  • Ben Lomand Communications: $1 million to serve the Pocahontas Community in Coffee County
  • DTC Communications: $1.7 million to serve parts of Smith and Wilson counties
  • Scott County Telephone Cooperative: $1.9 million to serve Surgoinsville in Hawkins County
  • Volunteer First Services: $76,714 to serve the Sunset Ridge Community in Cumberland County

Other grant recipients include Comcast, Gibson Electric Membership Corporation, Sunset Digital Communications and Tri-County Fiber Communications.