News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Twin Lakes will be able to complete the final five percent of its fiber conversion thanks to a grant announced by Governor Bill Lee Friday.
The $1.4 million grant will allow the cooperative to install fiber in parts of Overton and Fentress Counties.
“We will finish connecting fiber to every one of our co-operative members,” General Manager Jonathan West said. “So we are we are very near the end of that project. We have invested almost forty million dollars in bringing fiber connections, so about 95 percent of our service footprint. This will enable us to connect the last 5 percent and finish our project.”
Through the accessibility grant, West said Twin Lakes has 24 months to complete the project. However, West said they hope to finish the work sooner.
“It’s cables on poles, pedestals on the ground, and so we’ll bury about half of all the cables and then we’ll put half on existing poles that are out there today,” West said. “So it’s a complete replacement. Fiber is not like, oh, let’s upgrade this one little piece. It is a complete replacement of what you see out there. So it’s brand new infrastructure and that’s why it’s taken so long.”
“It’s kind of like starting all over. Our network took almost 60 years to build the first time and we will have completely replaced it over the last eight years.”
Lee announced nearly $20 million in grants through the Department of Economic and Community Development Friday. It will expand broadband service to some 31,000 Tennesseans across the state. Ben Lomand received a $2 million grant to expand service in Cumberland County.
West said the biggest improvement from fiber includes speed and reliability.
