The 4-County Electric Power Association unveiled its rollout plan for fiber broadband service (FASTNet) for parts of rural Clay, Choctaw, Lowndes, Monroe, Noxubee and Oktibbeha counties in Mississippi. 4-County oversees a 9-county coverage area, including rural portions of Lowndes, Oktibbeha, Clay and Noxubee counties. CEO/GM Brian Clark said the company is “going to build a ring around our system for communications and expand on that.” The 4-phase fiber buildout will take about three years to complete. Phase one, which will begin just weeks ago, includes Lone Oak, Montpelier, Maben, Brooksville and Adton. Phase two, scheduled to begin in early 2022, includes Oktoc, Golden Triangle, Lake Lowndes, Magbee and Stinson Creek. The co-op began construction for the fiber buildout in October 2020 with a pilot program using $6M of federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) funding. It allowed 4-County to spring into action, Clark said, granting parts of west Clay, northeast Choctaw and north Noxubee counties with 500 miles of fiber. Phase four should end in early 2024 that will see 5,400 total miles of fiber across the entire system. The co-op also secured $35M from the FCC through the Rural Development Opportunity Fund in late 2020 and is to receive equal increments over 10 years. FASTnet offers three different packages for members - FAST 200 for $55, FAST 500 FOR $65 or FAST GIG for $80 - all including different benefits. (Source: The Dispatch 04/02/21) 4-County unveils fiber internet service rollout plan - The Dispatch (cdispatch.com)
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