TVIfiber Connects First Customer
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Luke Adams (center) is the first customer in the Water Valley Electric Department’s coverage area to receive high speed internet from TVIfiber. The internet service was turned on to his residence on County Road 106 on March 13. He received a goodie bag from TVEPA/TVIfiber officials (from left) TVIfiber splicer Walter Woods, Director of Telecom Daniel Watson, TVEPA and TVIfiber CEO Brad Robison and Director of Member Services Earl Gibson.
WATER VALLEY – TVIfiber connected the first customer in the Water Valley Electric Department’s coverage area with fiber-based, high speed internet last. Luke Adams received service at his residence on County Road 106 on March 13.
“I knew it was coming, I just didn’t know I would be their first customer,” Adams said. “I have been waiting for four years.”
The hookup marked a first in a project to install fiber optic cable that will span the entire area covered by the Water Valley Electric Department. City officials inked a deal with Tallahatchie Valley Electric Power Association’s (TVEPA) subsidiary, TVIfiber for fiber deployment on city-owed utility poles last year, and Adams’ residence is one of 1,969 locations that will have access to TVIfiber’s internet and phone service.
The fiber installation, also called a buildout, will be performed in five stages. TVEPA and TVIfiber CEO Brad Robison reported that prioritizing access for customers who currently have little or no access to fiber internet is important.
“We wanted to stay true to our core beliefs, let’s get to the people who don’t have service options. Let’s get them service and then we will make our way into the cityWe have seen those in rural areas, and even those in small towns be overlooked and neglected by other internet providers. TVIfiber is different, we bring the best technology available to those rural areas and to those small towns because that is where our heart is. Our employees live in those rural areas, we are friends, neighbors, we go to church together, our kids and grandkids play ball together, we are a part of those communities, so we dedicate ourselves to making those communities better. Not for the sake of a profit, but for the growth of communities like Water Valley and to improve the quality of life for our neighbors and partners,” Robison explained.
Adams is among residents in Yalobusha County who live across the Hwy. 7 bypass and west of Water Valley, and are outside the city limits but receive electricity from the city’s electric department. Many of the residents in this area have little or no options for high-speed internet.
Daniel Watson, Director of Telecom at TVEPA, reported that by connecting to existing TVIfiber infrastructure, a limited number customers including Adams will have access this month.
Watson also said TVIfiber is submitting plans this week to the Water Valley Electric Department for phase one of the buildout that will serve additional areas on the west side of the highway bypass. This buildout will connect to an existing fiber connection on County Road 106 and will serve approximately 207 locations that have little or no internet service.
The remaining buildout for the vast majority of the city will connect to a fiber hub located in TVEPA’s substation west of Water Valley. This work will start on the south end of Water Valley and work in a northerly direction with an estimated completion date in September. Part of the buildout will require replacing or moving hundreds of city-owned utility poles. TVEPA crews will do the pole replacements and fiber buildout.
TVEPA was the first Mississippi electric power association to enter the high-speed internet and communications services and launched TVIfiber, a wholly owned subsidiary company, in 2019. Since then TVEPA and TVIfiber have deployed over 2,500 miles of fiber optic cable covering 1,750 square miles throughout parts of nine rural north Mississippi counties. Water Valley is the first community outside of TVEPA’s coverage area to receive internet and communications service from TVIfiber.
“I think this is a great day for Water Valley,” Mayor Tommy Reynolds reported. “And I am thrilled that fiber will be available for every customer who receives electricity from the city’s electric department. For some customers, this will be another option for high speed internet. But for others, this will be the only option available.”
