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I will also be interested to see if they pull back cash from the local CLECs partnering with electric companies in Georgia. Georgia, a little over 2 years ago,

I will also be interested to see if they pull back cash from the local CLECs partnering with electric companies in Georgia. Georgia, a little over 2 years ago, changed their state regulations to allow rural CLECs to partner with electrical coops (it may have been broader than that) to bring better than 25/3 to their customers. In the counties that concern me, Polk, Haralson, Carroll, and Heard, in west Georgia, a partnership between Carroll EMC and SyncGlobal (small rural CLEC) should bring fiber to every Carroll EMC customer over the next six years (2 phases). Funding for this may or may not have come from these allocations. The whole process is incredibly obscured by government and short staffed implementation providers. For reference https://carrollemc.com/broadband https://carrollemc.com/broadband ...I also have a pre order in for Starlink to hold me over.

beckler 5y ago
My FIL runs an electrical co-op in upstate SC. He had the choice of creating a new HQ for their co-op, or run fiber to all their customers. He ultimately chose the new HQ because the cost-per-mile was insane when you got in the more rural areas, and he had no guarantee that all serviceable addresses would subscribe, plus it would increase costs for all their subscribers even if they didn't join their network. He also afraid that something faster or more efficient than fiber would become more widely available over the next 10-15 years and then their network would be obsolete.
- kevin_thibedeau 5y ago
  The third choice was no new building and save the money for the future. C-levels always seems to go for the shiny new executive suite though.
- yakz 5y ago
  > He also afraid that something faster or more efficient than fiber would become more widely available over the next 10-15 years and then their network would be obsolete. Faster or more efficient than fiber? When they're already maintaining aluminum/copper cables to every customer anyway? What kind of change would something like that actually require to happen... new physics?
  - NortySpock 5y ago
    Not new physics; new business model and new technology: "a few cell phone towers can be run for cheaper than FTTH, and 5G is fast enough for some home use cases", at which point your fiber install costs may never make back their money.
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]

beckler 5y ago

My FIL runs an electrical co-op in upstate SC. He had the choice of creating a new HQ for their co-op, or run fiber to all their customers. He ultimately chose the new HQ because the cost-per-mile was insane when you got in the more rural areas, and he had no guarantee that all serviceable addresses would subscribe, plus it would increase costs for all their subscribers even if they didn't join their network. He also afraid that something faster or more efficient than fiber would become more widely available over the next 10-15 years and then their network would be obsolete.

kevin_thibedeau 5y ago
The third choice was no new building and save the money for the future. C-levels always seems to go for the shiny new executive suite though.
yakz 5y ago
> He also afraid that something faster or more efficient than fiber would become more widely available over the next 10-15 years and then their network would be obsolete. Faster or more efficient than fiber? When they're already maintaining aluminum/copper cables to every customer anyway? What kind of change would something like that actually require to happen... new physics?
- NortySpock 5y ago
  Not new physics; new business model and new technology: "a few cell phone towers can be run for cheaper than FTTH, and 5G is fast enough for some home use cases", at which point your fiber install costs may never make back their money.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]