Bloomington Chamber of Commerce
  • Business Directory
  • Membership
    • Join Today!
    • Benefits of Membership >
      • Business Resources
      • Cost Saving Programs
      • Co-Work Space & Conference Room
      • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Training
      • Marketing
      • Networking >
        • Business After Hours
      • Ribbon Cuttings and Milestones
    • Levels of Membership
    • Member Login
    • Member Materials
    • Ambassadors >
      • Welcome Committee
      • Ambassador Toolkit
  • News & Events
    • Chamber News >
      • Sign Up For News
    • Member News
    • Chamber Events Calendar
    • Signature Events
    • Sponsorship
    • Photo Gallery
  • Advocacy
    • Advocacy Matters Updates >
      • Sign Up for Advocacy News
    • Local Government Advisory Boards
    • Elected Officials Directory
    • Transparency in Government
    • State Legislative Process
    • 2023 Municipal Election >
      • Mayoral Candidates 2023
      • City Council Candidates 2023
    • 2023 Local Public Policy
    • 2023 State-Federal Advocacy
    • Resources >
      • Civic Engagement
      • Gender Wage Gap
      • Housing
      • Taxes
      • Transportation
  • Community
    • #BTownChamberEats
    • Black-Owned Business Affinity Group >
      • Black History Month 2023
    • Bloomington Women in Leadership >
      • BWIL Steering Committee
    • Job Board
    • The Success School >
      • How To Get Involved >
        • 2023 Educator of the Year Nominations
        • 2022 Educator of the Year Awards
      • Programs >
        • Request Programming
      • About Us
      • Success School FAQs
      • Contact The Success School
    • Young Professionals >
      • YPB Steering Committee
      • Ten Under 40
      • YPB Events
      • YPB Pics
    • Community Calendar
  • About Us
    • Our Team
    • Board of Directors
    • History
    • Chamber App
    • Contact

Smithville, SCI REMC activate first high-speed customers in unique fiber project for 3,400 residents and businesses

4/13/2021

1 Comment

 
Read the full article at smithville.com/news.
Picture
​A joint high-speed project that has attracted national industry attention took its first steps toward providing fiber service for up to 3,40o residents in Monroe and Owen Counties on April 12. The first high-speed customers for both companies came online as part of a unique fiber project directed by Smithville Communications, a top 100 national broadband company, and SCI REMC, Indiana’s largest rural electric cooperative.

“It is always good news when we can announce the availability of high-speed fiber in a rural area of Indiana, but this milestone is great news in that it represents the first fiber service jointly developed by a unique partnership between Smithville and SCI REMC,” said Cullen McCarty, Executive Vice President of Smithville Communications. “Since both organizations serve customers in essentially the same geographic area, this represents an excellent opportunity to work together to accelerate fiber availability to the customers we jointly serve.”

“Smithville and SCI REMC are setting a new bar of high standards for remarkable innovation in providing critical fiber service to Hoosiers in rural areas of Indiana,” said Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, who oversees Indiana’s Next Level Connections Broadband Grant Program and the state Office of Broadband Opportunities. “Governor Eric Holcomb and I applaud both companies for finding a way to jointly accelerate the construction of fiber services in regions where high-speed internet is often not readily available.”

According to James Tanneberger, president and CEO of SCI REMC, when the new fiber network is built and active, residential and business customers will be able to choose service from either Smithville or SCI REMC. As noted, both companies will independently market services to customers within the project area.

“This unique partnership benefits all parties,” said Tanneberger. “By working with Smithville, SCI REMC can ensure that businesses and residents in our joint service areas can have access to world-class high-speed internet in the most expeditious, fiscally responsible way possible, and at the same time meet our electric smart grid needs.”

Smithville and SCI REMC began physical construction last May in the first phase of bringing fiber service to 350 residents and businesses located in a rural area between Spencer and Gosport.

When completed in 2023, the project will serve approximately 3,400 residents and businesses in the shared service areas around Ellettsville, Lake Monroe, and Gosport with high-speed, reliable fiber-based internet. These include homes presently served by copper-based service, which the new fiber will replace.

“This joint project helps close the rural digital divide by providing high-speed, highly reliable fiber-based internet connectivity,” said Darby A. McCarty, Chairman and CEO of Smithville.

“Smithville has been an SCI REMC member for many years, and we also currently provide connectivity to their offices,” Ms. McCarty added. “It represents a natural partnership, as we share a similar, community-minded approach to serving our customers.”
​
The partnership leverages Smithville’s expertise and SCI REMC’s physical infrastructure to build the network and meet the needs of members, according to Tanneberger. “With the high cost of constructing new fiber networks, building separate physical fiber networks represents an expensive option that blocks progress,” he said.

“This unique partnership allows for faster delivery of service to members in common areas where we already jointly serve,” added Cullen McCarty.

Tanneberger noted that SCI REMC plans to continue building its own fiber network beyond the shared service area where members currently don’t have access to affordable, reliable, high-speed internet.

“When technology companies and organizations can find innovative ways to effectively work together, everybody wins,” said Paul Quick, president of Smithville. “We look forward to continuing to explore and secure new ways to serve the people of Indiana with great high-speed fiber service.”
1 Comment
Lewis Erskine
6/3/2022 01:55:30 pm

Why doesn't Smithville participate in the Affordable Connectivity Program?

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Share your news with us!

    Submit your news to the Chamber by the 12th or 28th of each month to be included in the bi-weekly Membership Matters emails.

    Submit Member News

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020

    RSS Feed

The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce.  All Rights Reserved.
421 W 6th Street, Suite A  |  Bloomington, IN 47404
Phone: (812)336-6381 | info@chamberbloomington.org | sitemap
Office Hours:
Monday-Thursday: 9:00am - 5:00pm
Friday: 9:00am-3:00pm

There is a no refund policy for events.  If you need to reassign your ticket to another person we will be happy to update our attendance list. Thank you.
Picture
  • Business Directory
  • Membership
    • Join Today!
    • Benefits of Membership >
      • Business Resources
      • Cost Saving Programs
      • Co-Work Space & Conference Room
      • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Training
      • Marketing
      • Networking >
        • Business After Hours
      • Ribbon Cuttings and Milestones
    • Levels of Membership
    • Member Login
    • Member Materials
    • Ambassadors >
      • Welcome Committee
      • Ambassador Toolkit
  • News & Events
    • Chamber News >
      • Sign Up For News
    • Member News
    • Chamber Events Calendar
    • Signature Events
    • Sponsorship
    • Photo Gallery
  • Advocacy
    • Advocacy Matters Updates >
      • Sign Up for Advocacy News
    • Local Government Advisory Boards
    • Elected Officials Directory
    • Transparency in Government
    • State Legislative Process
    • 2023 Municipal Election >
      • Mayoral Candidates 2023
      • City Council Candidates 2023
    • 2023 Local Public Policy
    • 2023 State-Federal Advocacy
    • Resources >
      • Civic Engagement
      • Gender Wage Gap
      • Housing
      • Taxes
      • Transportation
  • Community
    • #BTownChamberEats
    • Black-Owned Business Affinity Group >
      • Black History Month 2023
    • Bloomington Women in Leadership >
      • BWIL Steering Committee
    • Job Board
    • The Success School >
      • How To Get Involved >
        • 2023 Educator of the Year Nominations
        • 2022 Educator of the Year Awards
      • Programs >
        • Request Programming
      • About Us
      • Success School FAQs
      • Contact The Success School
    • Young Professionals >
      • YPB Steering Committee
      • Ten Under 40
      • YPB Events
      • YPB Pics
    • Community Calendar
  • About Us
    • Our Team
    • Board of Directors
    • History
    • Chamber App
    • Contact