Bringing Gigabit Broadband Beyond Chattanooga

At one time it looked like the high-speed broadband network built 10 years ago by EPB (formerly the Electric Power Board) in Chattanooga would be an island of gigabit connectivity, as the state of Tennessee had rather restrictive laws about what types of entities could offer broadband and where. But things have changed, as J. Ed Marston, EPB vice president of marketing, explained in an interview about new EPB gigabit partners. The state now allows municipalities and electric cooperatives to offer broadband, Marston noted. Electric companies (including EPB) are prevented from offering broadband beyond their serving areas for electric service, however, which has given rise to partnerships between EPB and small electric utilities that are moving into broadband. “We’re partnering with some other municipal and cooperative providers to help them get into the business,” commented Marston. “We’ve seen a ton of interest.” These other companies have the option of working with EPB in any of several different ways. In some cases, EPB provides consulting services. In other cases, it offers transport to an internet point of presence. In addition, EPB offers tech support as a service.