NRECA White Paper Explores Pros and Cons of Co-op Broadband Partnerships

Remote communities in the northwest mountains of South Carolina were desperate for high-speed internet. Then, after years of waiting for a reliable service provider, their electric cooperative forged a partnership to step in and build a fiber broadband network. “We recognized that our area was very unserved and underserved with access to high-speed internet, and we were concerned about it," said Jim Lovinggood, president and CEO of Pickens-based Blue Ridge Electric, which has a rugged 1,800-square-mile footprint. Upcountry Fiber launched in 2021, and as of today, the Blue Ridge Electric and West Carolina Telephone Cooperative partnership has connected 23,000 subscribers across 3,500 miles of fiber and is preparing a second build ahead of schedule. As more electric co-ops weigh partnerships to deliver internet service to their rural communities, NRECA released a new white paper prepared by Keller & Heckman LLP that explores the pros and cons, how to formalize a broadband partnership, potential partners and the roles they may play and more.