The first 100 members are connected to ECE Fiber
Exactly one year after the launch of
ecefiber.com, East Central Energy is proud to celebrate the first 100 members
to be connected to ECE Fiber internet. The cooperative connected the first
internet member nearly 88 years to the day after ECE turned the lights on for the
first electric member.
This
accomplishment was several years in the making with the ECE Board of Directors voting in late 2022 to move
forward with a full fiber-to-the-home project. Since then, ECE hired a
team of broadband employees, gained interest in service from approximately
14,000 members, constructed over 850 miles of fiber lines, and is now
connecting members to the internet daily.
“This is a historic time for ECE, and it is exciting to see
the amount of support from the co-op’s membership. Our mission for ECE Fiber is
to make sure every ECE member has access to reliable, high-speed internet,”
says President/CEO Justin Jahnz. “We plan to bridge the digital divide by connecting
some of the most underserved counties in both Minnesota and Wisconsin.”
Over the next several years, ECE will
work to build out the fiber internet infrastructure throughout the
cooperative’s service territory. Construction plans for
2024 have been confirmed and are available to view on ecefiber.com. Fiber
line construction will generally follow ECE’s power structure with both overhead
and underground lines being installed, taking place between ground thaw to
ground freeze each year.
“ECE
Fiber internet is truly world-class,” mentions ECE Broadband Manager Dennis
Rice. “We are already receiving feedback from members that have been connected,
sharing their satisfaction with the service. It’s great to see the hard work being
put into this project and wrapped up with happily connected members.”
ECE members are encouraged to visit ecefiber.com and sign up to express interest in internet services. By signing up online, members will receive updates via email and be notified as ECE moves closer to building in each area.
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