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Tennessee is doing rural broadband expansion right, Pew study says

Emily R. West
The Tennessean

Tennessee has become a leading example in connecting rural residents with broadband internet, according to a new Pew Charitable Trust study released Thursday. 

The state was one of nine highlighted for making progress. 

"Tennessee is doing several things right," project team member Kathryn de Wit said. "The state's grant program is noteworthy. It has built relationships with providers. It ensures that it's meeting technology not just for today but for the future." 

In the group's research, de Wit said Tennessee's grant reporting requirement to update progress and 50% percent match from internet service providers also gave other states a footprint to follow. 

"We know states are using similar activities," de Wit said. "But states are different and they have different challenges. So the responses to those challenges need to meet the needs. We know that states are learning. Broadband is foundational technology for just about everything we do in our lives. Many communities do not have access still. States matter and there's quite a bit of momentum with respect to broadband. We can and should look to the states." 

Horses graze in a field as Steven Bacheco with Ben Lomand Connect helps install equipment for high speed internet cable in the rural Pocahontas area in northern Coffee County, Tenn., on Aug. 22, 2018.

What Tennessee has done 

In 2017 — the year the Tennessee legislature passed the Broadband Accessibility Act — 13% of rural Tennesseans didn't have broadband. Through the act, then-Gov. Bill Haslam's administration funneled money into grants for providers to decrease that number. 

The initiative provided $45 million spread across 95 counties for three years. 

Then the legislature in 2018 loosened regulations to allow internet providers to partner with public utilities. When Gov. Bill Lee took office, he advocated for private businesses to fix the broadband issue but did see some need for the state to help with funding. In the Williamson County community where he lives, Fernvale, the majority of residents don't have broadband.

In his most recent State of the State, Lee proposed an additional $25 million investment in rural broadband in the 2020 budget. 

"Maybe this will be the year we finally get broadband on the farm," he joked in his address. 

Most recently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently released $9 million in grant funding to Tennessee. 

"We celebrated another huge step in executing on our mission of enriching our communities and the lives of our neighbors through reliable connections and passionate service," said William Bradford, United Communications CEO.

United and Middle Tennessee Electric Membership Cooperation have been partnering together to provide internet to rural areas since late 2018. The two benefitted from a loosening of regulations in 2018, and it set the duo up for applying for the USDA grant program.

"These folks deserve the quality of life that broadband provides and we are very excited to be the community-focused company to bridge the broadband gap for our rural neighbors," Bradford said.

Where rural broadband is going next

The USDA funding will reach approximately 3,700 households, 41 businesses and 31 farms. 

That will include service through:

  • Ben Lomand Holdings, which will use $2.2 million to deploy a fiber to to 222 houses, six businesses and three farms spread across 100 square miles in Cumberland County.
  • North Central Communications Inc., which will receive $1.4 million to provide to 154 households, 10 businesses and 21 farms across 22 square miles in Smith County.  
  • Peoples Telephone Co., which received $1 million in grant money and a $1 million loan for 651 customers in 38 square miles in Houston, Henry, Stewart and Montgomery counties. 
  • United Communications, which will use $3.3 million for about 2,700 customers in Wilson, Rutherford, Maury and Williamson counties across 48 square miles.

Still need service?

Middle Tennessee Electric members can register to receive updates on the expansion plan and determine if they are already in a United service area by visiting service.united.net.

Additional information on the partnership can be found at United.net/MTEMC.

Reach Emily West at erwest@tennessean.com or 615-613-1380 and on Twitter at @emwest22.