Mississippi County Electric Cooperative teams with Conexon to deploy fiber-to-the-home network; build-out will provide access to broadband benefits for 5,000 rural Arkansas homes and businesses

Network will enable world-class, high-speed internet and phone services, and enhance electrical infrastructure with smart grid capabilities

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Conexon

Mar 25, 2020, 08:00 ET

KANSAS CITY, Mo., March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Conexon, the nation's leader in assisting electric cooperatives to deploy broadband networks, has been selected by Arkansas-based Mississippi County Electric Cooperative (MCEC) to deliver a comprehensive range of broadband management services including network design, engineering, construction management, and customer technical support for its fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network.

The electric cooperative's bold five-year project, encompassing 600 miles of fiber, is in the early stages of construction. Customers are expected to begin receiving high-speed internet and phone services in mid-2020.

"At a time of uncertainty, one thing is certain: The world is interconnected in many ways, and the future of information, education, work, healthcare, shopping, social connection and entertainment are all tied to internet access," Conexon Partner Jonathan Chambers said. "We're proud to be part of MCEC's plans to bring world-class broadband to its members and the broader community. While much of the world has hit the pause button, MCEC is moving forward."

Through the co-op's broadband subsidiary MCEC Fiber, the planned state-of-the-art fiber-optic network will offer members access to symmetrical gigabit internet capabilities – among the fastest and most robust in the nation. Additionally, it will enable enhancements and smart grid capabilities to the electrical infrastructure such as improved power outage response times, better load balancing, more efficient electricity delivery and others.

"We have long seen the need of our members and communities for reliable and fast internet service, given that it has become a necessity in many parts of life," Mississippi County Electric Cooperative President and CEO Brad Harrison said. "This network is important for our community, and Conexon opened our eyes to the fact that not only could we provide the service, but we could offer a gold-plated solution to our members. We will be relying heavily on the Conexon team for its expertise and support as we deploy our network."

"Time and again we have heard electric cooperative clients stress the criticality of broadband and its educational, societal and economic growth benefits to preserve the rural way of life," Conexon Partner Randy Klindt added. "We applaud Mississippi County Electric's leadership for its commitment to ensuring those benefits for its communities, and we are excited to play a role."

About Conexon
Conexon works with Rural Electric Cooperatives to bring fiber to the home in rural communities. The company is comprised of professionals who have worked in electric cooperatives and the telecommunications industry, and offer decades of individual experience in business planning, building networks, marketing and selling telecommunications. Conexon offers its electric cooperative clients end-to-end broadband deployment and operations support, from a project's conception all the way through to its long-term sustainability. It works with clients to analyze economic feasibility, secure financing, design the network, manage construction, provide operational support, optimize business performance and determine optimal partnerships. To date, Conexon has assisted more than 150 electric cooperatives, 37 of which are deploying fiber networks, with nearly 100,000 connected fiber-to-the-home subscribers across the U.S., and has secured more than $200 million in federal and state grants for its clients.

SOURCE Conexon