Windstream, electric co-op take on $33M fiber project in Georgia

Windstream Holdings, Inc., also operating under the names Windstream Communications and Windstream, offers managed services like virtual servers, managed firewalls, data storage, cloud-based voice, etc.

It also provides United States businesses with voice and data network communications such as broadband, VoIP, and MPLS.

Windstream, electric co-op take on $33M fiber project in Georgia

In addition, the company provides customers in its service region with digital streaming TV, phone, and residential broadband services. With service for approximately 8.1 million people across 21 states, it is the ninth-largest residential telephone business in the country.

Windstream also provides kinetic internet services in 18 US states, and the Windstream EBB tablet free. Windstream Kinetic Internet is a fibre optic internet connection. Users receive consistent internet signals via a fibre optic connection.

In Georgia, Windstream’s Kinetic is partnering with an electric cooperative to take on yet another public-private fibre partnership.

By the end of the next year, the $32.5 million initiative hopes to connect 17,000 homes and businesses in Colquitt County. Kinetic is investing $11.1 million and will cover any cost overruns, while Colquitt Electric Membership Corp. will use $21.4 million in state grant money from the American Rescue Plan Act.

According to a Kinetic representative, this is the company’s largest public-private partnership in Georgia. In addition to projects in Kentucky and Pennsylvania, the business is working on 25 public-private partnerships in Georgia alone.

According to the statement, kinetic fibre is currently available at 9,700 locations or around 40% of Colquitt County. According to the spokesman, Kinetic has already installed fibre in those areas and anticipates adding 7,400 additional customers with the new construction.

Colquitt EMC has played “an instrumental part in the delivery of fibre in its service area,” according to Michael Foor, president of Kinetic’s Georgia operations.

Regarding the cooperative’s part in the public-private partnership, the Kinetic representative stated that Colquitt EMC “is supportive of the funding applications Windstream submitted to the state on behalf of these areas.”

The spokesperson told Fierce Telecom, “Colquitt EMC agreed to assist with make-ready and honour zero-cost pole attachments to support its members getting fibre optic internet service. This also provides a smart grid for future use of the EMC.”

By the end of 2023, Windstream intends to construct 95,000 new fibre locations throughout Georgia. Although Kinetic has made “significant progress” towards that objective, the spokesperson stated that “full completion will shift into 2024.”

The representative continued, “Our build activity in the state of Georgia remains robust. We have over 1,000 active construction projects in 37 counties across the state.”

As a privately held firm, Windstream does not release revenue and subscriber metrics every quarter. However, across its 18-state footprint, Windstream is constructing 300,000 fibre passes annually, according to Kinetic President Jeff Small.