Seven rural electric cooperatives reach universal fiber access milestone

The latest inductees include Canadian Valley Electric Cooperative, Central Florida Electric Cooperative, Glades Electric Cooperative, Grady EMC, Habersham EMC, Satilla REMC, and Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative. By finalizing these networks, the organizations fulfill a universal service mandate, ensuring that even the most remote rural subscribers gain access to high-capacity broadband infrastructure.

Randy Klindt, founding partner at Conexon, noted that the achievement reflects a long-standing cooperative commitment to leave no member behind. Since the firm began its work a decade ago, it has helped secure over $2 billion in public funding and designed more than 200,000 miles of fiber network. These efforts have collectively brought fiber connectivity to roughly 4 million rural Americans, bridging a gap that has historically favored more densely populated urban centers.