Middle GA to get more high speed internet

VIENNA, Ga. (WALB) - Middle Georgia EMC announced plans Tuesday day to provide access to reliable, affordable, high-speed fiber broadband service for its 4,800 members. The cooperative has selected Conexon Connect, the newly-formed internet service provider to lead the project.

The electric cooperative is teaming up with Conexon Connect to launch and deploy a 1,900-mile fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network providing high-speed internet access to 4,800 members in Dooly, Houston, Macon, Pulaski, Turner, Wilcox, and Ben Hill counties in central Georgia. The $36.7 million project will reach 100 percent of the Middle Georgia EMC membership with fiber internet upon completion, which is expected within two years.

The first customers will be connected as early as the first quarter of 2022.

The fiber-optic network will offer members access to symmetrical Gigabit internet capabilities (same download and upload speeds) – among the fastest and most robust in the nation. Additionally, it will provide reliable, clear phone service and enable the benefits of smart grid capabilities to the electrical infrastructure, including improved power outage response times, better load balancing, more efficient electricity delivery, and other benefits.

“Middle Georgia EMC and Conexon Connect’s announcement today is going to positively impact the lives of countless hardworking Georgians in some of the most rural agricultural communities in our state. Fiber broadband service opens doors for new business opportunities, additional education resources, telemedicine, and so many other tools that improve everyday quality of life,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “This is another product of Senate Bill 2 which I signed in 2019, giving EMCs the legal ability to provide broadband service. I want to thank Middle Georgia EMC’s leadership for finding a partner to help develop a solution that will serve their entire community.”

“I am proud to say that Georgia’s 13th district will soon be better connected than ever before. Our community deserves access to the tools that help our residents and businesses successfully participate in our local, state, national and global economy,” says Sen. Carden Summers.

“Our members have waited long enough for high-speed access to make telemedicine, remote learning, working from home, and videoconferencing with loved ones a reality on a daily basis,” said Randy Crenshaw, president and CEO of Middle Georgia EMC. “Conexon Connect is making it possible for our members to access this vital service at last. We are ready to show them all the opportunities that open up in a more connected community.”