4-County Electric Power Association’s new broadband subsidiary, FASTnet, began operations about a year ago. Thursday, FASTnet officials celebrated hooking up their 2,000th customer.
Robert Cunningham of Noxubee County was the lucky customer. In celebration, he and his wife, Libby, received a few electronic goodies and a celebratory cake at the 4-County Corporate Center in Mayhew.
“It’s amazing how peoples’ lives are being transformed by FASTnet,” 4-County/FASTnet CEO Brian Clark told those attending the brief ceremony. “It’s really humbling to hear the Cunningham family and other customers talk about how reliable, high-speed Internet is allowing them to do things like see a doctor or work from home.”
Northern District Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley attended the event and joined the Cunningham’s in applauded the co-op’s efforts to bring broadband to its members. “We’re proud to work with electric cooperatives like 4-County who are bringing broadband to their rural members. It was what they did 80 years ago with electricity, and now they are going to improve the lives of their members for another 80 years with FASTnet.”
State Sen. Chuck Younger (R-District 17) also attended the event. Both Presley and Clark praised legislators for being a key catalyst in getting broadband projects started around the state. “Without lawmakers like Sen. Younger working to pass the law that enabled electric cooperatives to begin offering broadband services to their members, we’d never be in this position right now,” Presley said.
Clark agreed. “The Mississippi CARES Act that helped fund our first pilot programs was extremely helpful, too,” Clark said. “That funding, made available by the legislature, really got our FASTnet project moving a little more than a year ago.”
For more information on FASTnet and its services, call 1-800-431-1544.
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