When Tipmont REMC asked members about broadband in 2017, more than half said that they couldn’t access fast, affordable, reliable connectivity. The rural electric cooperative then set out to change that with their board unanimously voting to develop a Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) network.
Community Networks reported that as of January 1, 2019, Tipmont acquired local ISP Wintek Corporation, to bring high-quality connectivity to its 23,000 members over the next eight years.
Wintek has used Tipmont’s poles for more than 10 years to mount sections of fiber for residential and commercial connections. According to Oliver Beers, co-owner and COO of Wintek, the acquisition will allow more Wintek customers to access fiber connectivity.
“It’s really important when you have a service that people depend on, like electric service or broadband service, that we make very sure that what we’re providing is highly reliable given the gravity of what’s being provided,” says Tipmont REMC President/CEO Ron Holcomb. “So since we are new to the space, we decided to take a slower approach and make sure as we started to ramp up, the service would meet expectations or exceed expectations.”
The acquisition of Wintek brings the resources needed involving network engineering, fiber deployment, internet access delivery, and regulations. Last summer, Tipmont deployed 30 miles of fiber, reported Community Networks.
According to Beers, “In order to help tackle these larger problems on a much greater landscape, you need scale – which is something we’ve struggled with. But moving forward, having the combined venture, that’s going to be huge.” Comments? Email Us.
January 15, 2019
Reader Interactions