Joe Wheeler Electric Management Corporation on Friday launched ‘FlashFiber,’ an ambitious fiber optic network expansion that aims to give residents of Morgan and Lawrence Counties access to high-speed broadband internet.
The project, in the works since 2017, will involve the laying of about 3,000 miles of fiber optic cable and take five years to fully complete. However, some residents could have access as soon as early next year, officials announced at a press conference in Trinity, Ala.
“Broadband is no longer a luxury; it is a vital component of modern life,” said George Kitchens, chief executive officer at JWEMC.. “We have fully embraced fiber for the future of this region, and we know our members are going to love all the benefits fiber has to offer.”
Joe Wheeler EMC first conducted a feasibility study in 2017 and have now completed all the engineering and design work. The corporation pointed to increased property values and enhanced quality of life as the difference makers for offering more residents access to high-speed internet.
Local political leaders were on hand in Trinity, Alabama to celebrate the announcement, including State Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, and State Rep. Proncey Robertson, R-Decatur.
“Hopefully this is an example to the rest of the state that so much work needs to be done to make sure that our rural areas have broadband,” Robertson said. “What Joe Wheeler [EMC] has done right here in a year full of huge challenges, they have stepped up and done something that we should be very, very proud of.”
Watch the full announcement HERE.