Mississippi Electric Co-ops Expand Rural Broadband After 2019 Law, Laying 3,000 Miles of Fiber
Updated
Updated · WLBT · May 12
Mississippi Electric Co-ops Expand Rural Broadband After 2019 Law, Laying 3,000 Miles of Fiber
3 articles · Updated · WLBT · May 12
More Mississippi electric cooperatives are pushing high-speed internet deeper into rural areas, using authority granted by the 2019 Mississippi Broadband Enabling Act to serve members with fiber service.
3,000 miles of fiber have been installed by East Mississippi Electric Power Association in 36 months, while Pearl Con Fiber said it is nearing completion of its own network build.
The buildout accelerated after the pandemic exposed gaps in rural connectivity, leaving residents unable to attend online classes or work from home reliably.
Those new connections are now supporting schoolwork, remote jobs and caregiving for family members, with co-ops saying broadband is also helping local economic development.
Pearl Con Fiber said it eventually hopes to extend service beyond its current territory, widening access to communities still lacking reliable internet.
As policy shifts from fiber to satellite, is rural America trading long-term reliability for short-term savings?
With copper lines rapidly retiring, can the industry build new fiber networks fast enough to prevent service gaps?
Closing Mississippi’s Digital Divide: 41,000 Miles of Fiber and 550,000 Homes Connected by Electric Cooperatives
Overview
Mississippi has rapidly expanded broadband access in recent years, mainly through the efforts of electric cooperatives. After being allowed to enter the broadband field five years ago, 17 co-ops have created subsidiaries focused on internet service, deploying 41,000 miles of fiber and reaching over 550,000 homes and businesses. This progress is especially important for rural and underserved areas, where reliable internet was previously lacking. Key projects like NE SPARC’s expansion show ongoing growth, while strong federal and state funding supports these efforts. Together, these actions are helping to close the digital divide across the state.