Milestones

Electric Co-op
Broadband Milestones

There's nothing Conexon likes better than seeing the amazing accomplishments of the cooperatives we work with.

Co-ops are added to the Milestones page when they have reached 1,000 subscribers. 

We update the Milestones for our clients' fiber broadband projects quarterly. The progress these co-ops make every quarter -- miles of fiber built and growing numbers of subscribers -- are impressive.  

Updated: December 7th, 2023

Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation

Headquarters

Clarksville, TN

Co-op Members

99,286

Subscribers

27,233

Miles Built

4,622

Take Rate

35%

Installs Per Week

242

“While this may not have been the best strategy for revenue early on, we approached this project by reaching those members who had the most need.”

Chris Davis, General Manager, CEMC

Ozarks Electric Cooperative

Headquarters

Fayetteville, AR

Co-op Members

88,780

Subscribers

38,200

Miles Built

7,000

Take Rate

44%

Installs Per Week

150

"As a Co-op, we're committed to ensuring our members and communities have access to all of the societal, education and economic benefits that world-class broadband delivers, backed by our cooperative commitment to make lives better. Conexon expertise and support have made a tremendous difference in our ability to do that. Randy and Jonathan have been valuable partners and instrumental to our success."

Mitchell Johnson, President and CEO, Ozarks Electric Cooperative

Singing River Electric

Headquarters

Lucedale, MS

Co-op Members

79,790

Subscribers

5,502

Miles Built

2,891

Take Rate

50%

Installs Per Week

100

Singing River Connect is making waves with super-fast fiber internet for the neatly 80,000 homes and businesses served by the electric co-op. Upon completion, the FTTH network will span 7,669 miles across nine counties in two states!

Many areas served by Singing River Electric Cooperative have little or no internet access. Some areas also lack phone service. Singing River Connect fiber internet will power local communities while providing fiber-fast internet access.

Members are thrilled and grateful for what's coming, and take rates are already soaring at nearly %50. The $150 million network is expected to be completed within six years to reach 100% of Singing River Electric members.

Coast Electric Power Association

Headquarters

Gulfport, MS

Co-op Members

74,526

Subscribers

17,466

Miles Built

3,381

Take Rate

31%

Installs Per Week

150

“We’re giving our members the best internet connection they can get anywhere in the world. We’re helping our students be able to do homework, where before they were having to drive to the library or the local McDonald’s to be able to get Wi-Fi service.”

Ron Barnes, CEO, Coast Electric Power Association and Coast Connect

Tombigbee Electric Power Association

Headquarters

Tupelo, MS

Co-op Members

54,529

Subscribers

21,467

Miles Built

3,290

Take Rate

39%

Installs Per Week

150

"Our co-op has long maintained a commitment to providing a vital service to the communities and members we serve, affordably and accessibly. We are pleased to work with Conexon, because of the team’s extensive experience, to now offer broadband in that same spirit."

Scott Hendrix, CEO, Tombigbee Electric Association

Pearl River Valley Electric Power Association

Headquarters

Columbia, MS

Co-op Members

52,000

Subscribers

8,400

Miles Built

3,401

Take Rate

51%

Installs Per Week

70

“Our membership’s response has been extremely positive. Everybody is ready for broadband to come down their road and I’m not surprised by that. This is the right time to get into the business, provide this service to our membership and give them abilities they’ve never had before.”

“It’s been great to have Conexon as a partner to help us throughout the process. The team is showing us how to use what we know in the electric business to help us get started in the broadband business.”

Matthew Ware, General Manager, PRVEPA

Oklahoma Electric Cooperative

Headquarters

Norman, Oklahoma

Co-op Members

48,820

Subscribers

36,246

Miles Built

5,240

Take Rate

40%

Installs Per Week

200

"I can’t speak highly enough of this strategy. Having the team in place early and letting them get their feet wet when things are calm allows them to hit the ground running when you ramp things up. It’s really important to hire good people who know how to operate competitively, while also fitting in with a co-op’s customer service mindset."

Patrick Grace, CEO, Oklahoma Electric Cooperative

Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative

Headquarters

Ozark, AR

Co-op Members

48,000

Subscribers

22,310

Miles Built

4,800

Take Rate

48%

Installs Per Week

140

"Marketing was the biggest learning curve. I think the thing that’s put us over the top is the addition of a marketing strategy. We’ve put some people in place in-house and started working with Conexon, and that’s when we really saw the project take off.”

Brandon Fisher, Director of Technology and Communications, AVECC

Northeast Oklahoma Electric Cooperative

Headquarters

Vinita, OK

Co-op Members

41,500

Subscribers

16,300

Miles Built

2,200

Take Rate

57%

Installs Per Week

45

"A lot of firms can do feasibility studies, but have never built a network. Go with someone like Conexon who has done this and has experience in fiber to the home. You don’t want to be a guinea pig or have an outside firm learning on your job”

Daniel Webster, CEO, Northeast Oklahoma Electric Cooperative

MidSouth Electric Cooperative

Headquarters

Navasota, TX

Co-op Members

38,672

Subscribers

13,009

Miles Built

3,174

Take Rate

34%

Installs Per Week

85

“We chose Conexon because we were able to go and look at and talk to cooperatives already working with Conexon to see exactly what a successful project looked like,” Kelton said. “Conexon has been there with us through the entire process.”

Kerry Kelton, General Manager and CEO, MidSouth Electric Cooperative

Central Virginia Electric Cooperative

Headquarters

Palmyra, VA

Co-op Members

37,000

Subscribers

24,000

Miles Built

4,500

Take Rate

60%

Installs Per Week

205

"When you’re looking back and wondering ‘Was there really a need?’ and then you see over 80 percent of the population takes your service in a certain area, that really speaks to the desperation of these rural populations to get reliable and affordable internet.”

Melissa Gay, Communications and Member Services Manager, CVEC

East Central Oklahoma Electric Cooperative

Headquarters

Okmulgee, OK

Co-op Members

35,962

Subscribers

15,105

Miles Built

4,156

Take Rate

50%

Installs Per Week

125

“We knew that Conexon was the company that could help us bring this to reality,” Smith says. “They have a proven track record with other cooperatives and a blueprint on how to do this in a way that works in terms of affordability, speed of deployment and sustainability.”

Tim Smith, General Manager, ECOEC

North East Mississippi Electric Power Association

Headquarters

Oxford, MS

Co-op Members

29,000

Subscribers

12,100

Miles Built

1,650

Take Rate

42%

Installs Per Week

40

“People are paying attention and excited about the offer. When we posted a Facebook picture of our first fiber hut, we got around 8,000 views in 24 hours. Even people who do have service options now can’t wait to change providers.”

Keith Hayward, CEO/GM, North East Mississippi Electric Power Association

North Arkansas Electric Cooperative

Headquarters

Salem, AR

Co-op Members

29,000

Subscribers

11,800

Miles Built

3,200

Take Rate

33%

Installs Per Week

100

“We want our co-op members to experience the improved quality of life that fiber internet brings. True broadband access helps our students, businesses and communities thrive in today’s competitive world, and we want to be our co-op members’ local source for reliable, affordable internet, TV and phone service.”

Mel Coleman, CEO, North Arkansas Electric Cooperative

Delta Electric Power Association

Headquarters

Greenwood, MS

Co-op Members

28,880

Subscribers

4,000

Miles Built

2,400

Take Rate

32%

Installs Per Week

35

“Delta Electric has one of the best reputations for service among cooperatives in the state. We’re committed to giving our broadband customers the same level of service that we provide to our electric customers.”

David O’Bryan, General Manager, Delta Electric Power Association

East Mississippi Electric Power Association

Headquarters

Meridian, MS

Co-op Members

28,221

Subscribers

12,593

Miles Built

3,862

Take Rate

43%

Installs Per Week

135

“The Conexon staff complement my staff by filling some holes that we have and supporting us in some roles that we need,” he continued. “I’ve got a great staff on the electric side – very talented, very capable, go-getters – but this build out is an arm of the business that we’ve never been in before, and we need experts we can rely on to help us get up to speed on it, learn about it, and make sure we’re managing it correctly.”

Randy Carroll, CEO, East Mississippi Electric Power Association

Central Florida Electric Cooperative

Headquarters

Chiefland, Fl

Co-op Members

26,000

Subscribers

5,000

Miles Built

3,000

“Community is community, we live, work, play and worship together. We couldn’t just bring this for only our members. The need was for everyone.”

- Denny George, General Manager, Central Florida Electric Cooperatve

Co-Mo Connect

Headquarters

Tipton, Missouri

Co-op Members

25,791

Subscribers

31,166

Miles Built

3,878

Take Rate

64%

Installs Per Week

174

"Our Board was visionary and willing to take a chance to build a network that would meet our members’ needs,” says Co-Mo CEO Aaron Bradshaw. “When we started building the network in 2012, we approached it in four phases with ‘off-ramps’ along the way so that if necessary, we could stop. Fortunately, that didn’t happen.”

Aaron Bradshaw, CEO, Co-Mo Electric Cooperative

Central Rural Electric Cooperative

Headquarters

Stillwater, OK

Co-op Members

23,790

Subscribers

7,962

Miles Built

2,909

Take Rate

44%

Installs Per Week

60

“Knowing you can help so many people improve their quality of life, just as we did more than 80 years ago, is a big responsibility, and something that cannot be ignored.”

Hunter Robinson, CEO, Central Rural Electric Cooperative

South West Arkansas Electric Cooperative

Headquarters

Texarkana, Arkansas

Co-op Members

18,962

Subscribers

3,200

Miles Built

1,916

Take Rate

43%

Installs Per Week

50

The RDOF auction proved a turning point, with the co-op winning $53.6 million, the largest amount awarded to any RECC member.

Tri-County EMC

Headquarters

Gray, GA

Co-op Members

18,466

Subscribers

5,609

Miles Built

1,508

Take Rate

31%

Installs Per Week

83

“For cooperatives, this is in our DNA. We’re there to serve the unserved and the underserved. Our history is providing electric power to those who couldn’t get it, or couldn’t get it quickly. The same thing is at work here with broadband.”

Ray Grinberg, CEO, Tri-County EMC

Kosciusko REMC

Headquarters

Warsaw, IN

Co-op Members

18,000

Subscribers

7,500

Miles Built

1,106

Take Rate

40%

Installs Per Week

40

“Hearing the Conexon philosophy and what they stand for was the buy-in for me. I knew we could treat our members as we have been in the past, like they’re used to. We didn’t want to turn that responsibility over to any other company and put our name on it. We wanted to be totally involved and make sure our membership was taken care of.”

Kurt Carver, President/CEO, Kosicusko REMC

Canadian Valley Electric Cooperative

Headquarters

Seminole, OK

Co-op Members

18,000

Subscribers

5,700

Miles Built

1,900

Take Rate

52%

Installs Per Week

85

CVEC Fiber was formed to fulfill the CVEC mission statement “Improve Life, Serve Community” by providing fast, reliable fiber internet to all members and businesses within the co-op’s footprint.

CVEC Fiber

Tri-County Electric Cooperative

Headquarters

Saint Matthews, SC

Co-op Members

15,000

Subscribers

7,000

Miles Built

1,650

Take Rate

47%

Installs Per Week

60

“Conexon had the experience and expertise we were looking for. Randy and Jonathan and the team work exclusively with cooperatives, so they understand rural territories, the co-op’s commitment to service and the unique challenges we face. Based on the recommendations from other co-ops and Conexon’s end-to-end capabilities, we felt the company was the best solution for us. We’re excited to get started on the project.”

Chad Lowder, CEO, Tri-County Electric Cooperative

Cookson Hills Electric Cooperative

Headquarters

Stigler, OK

Co-op Members

14,877

Subscribers

5,230

Miles Built

2,500

Take Rate

34%

Installs Per Week

57

“As a cooperative, we are going to walk this together with our members. When we have those challenging times, we are going to take a little bit of time together to make sure we work through it. We’ll make sure they have the resources they need. It will only be as successful as we make it successful.”

Juli Orme, General Manager, Cookson Hills Electric Cooperative

Petit Jean Fiber

Headquarters

Clinton, AR

Co-op Members

14,000

Subscribers

3,915

Miles Built

2,500

Take Rate

40%

Installs Per Week

85

"We’ve served our membership with reliable electricity for 80 years and now it’s time to serve them the next generation of utility. Don’t let the numbers scare you. You don’t have to do it alone."

Michael Kirkland, CEO, Petit Jean Electric Cooperation

SEMO Electric Cooperative

Headquarters

Sikeston, MO

Co-op Members

12,192

Subscribers

8,675

Miles Built

2,000

Take Rate

65%

Installs Per Week

50

“This was a tremendous amount of work, with weeks putting in 80 to 100 hours, and we had some long, painful nights,” says Vanslyke.

“But in talking with Randy, I could tell that the hours we were putting in were exactly what he’d had to do. He understood when I would hit a wall because he had been there. He and the others at Conexon have been very responsive to all my questions and that means a lot to me.”

Sean Vanslyke, CEO, SEMO Electric Cooperative

Prince George Electric Cooperative

Headquarters

Waverly, VA

Co-op Members

12,000

Subscribers

4,540

Miles Built

1,600

Take Rate

42%

Installs Per Week

13

Natchez Trace Electric Power Association

Headquarters

Eupora, MS

Co-op Members

11,800

Subscribers

5,650

Miles Built

1,130

Take Rate

47%

Installs Per Week

50

“From the first meeting, Conexon impressed us. The partners were knowledgeable of the subject matter and authoritative—they knew exactly what needed to be done to be successful. But they also really care about what they’re doing and believe in it..”

Shawn Edmondson, PE/General Manager, Natchez Trace Electric Power Association

Northeast Louisiana Power Cooperative

Headquarters

Winnsboro, LA

Co-op Members

11,500

Subscribers

3,000

Miles Built

2,000

Take Rate

50%

“Over 80 years ago, we brought electricity to the rural areas of northeast Louisiana, and the quality of life for our members improved dramatically. This is the same approach we’re bringing with fiber and Volt Broadband.”

Jeff Churchwell, General Manager, Northeast Louisiana Electric Cooperative

Monroe County Electric Power Association

Headquarters

Amory, MS

Co-op Members

10,800

Subscribers

6,037

Miles Built

879

Take Rate

56%

Installs Per Week

25

“From the first meeting, we immediately felt comfortable with the depth of their experience and expertise and ability to help us successfully deliver this service to our members,”

Barry Rowland, General Manager, Monroe County Electric Power Association

South Central Arkansas Electric Cooperative

Headquarters

Arkadelphia, AR

Co-op Members

10,105

Subscribers

6,169

Miles Built

1,836

Take Rate

30%

Installs Per Week

70

“Our focus on economic growth for our communities isn’t about attracting worldwide corporations, it’s about providing the services that will keep our member-owned, local businesses able to operate here, or providing those who are part of a larger company the ability to work from home. Having broadband means people can actually move out here into rural Arkansas and still have the conveniences they had in cities.”

Colby Wells, CEO, SCAEC

Forked Deer Electric Cooperative

Headquarters

Halls, TN

Co-op Members

10,063

Subscribers

5,022

Miles Built

1,133

Take Rate

55%

Installs Per Week

12

“Our ability to offer broadband to our rural areas is tremendous, and speaks directly to our 80-year commitment to make lives better in the communities we serve. Broadband holds potential for economic and business growth, higher home values and it allows people who choose rural living to have the same services and lifestyle benefits as those who live in cities.”

Jeff Newman, CEO, Forked Deer Electric Cooperative

United Electric Cooperative

Headquarters

Savannah, MO

Co-op Members

7,500

Subscribers

29,365

Miles Built

3,618

Take Rate

53%

Installs Per Week

756

“United Fiber won a significant amount in the CAF II auction. This was made possible by hard work, strategy and choosing the right partners.

We would not have been successful without the help of the Rural Electric Consortium and Conexon. Working together provided United with the expertise to successfully navigate the auction and win over $20 million. This money will change lives in northwest Missouri!”

Jim Bagley, CEO/General Manager, United Electric Cooperative

Pemiscot-Dunklin Electric Co-op

Headquarters

Kennett, MO

Co-op Members

7,500

Subscribers

3,950

Miles Built

1,025

Take Rate

53%

Installs Per Week

10

“It’s increasingly clear to us how much this fiber network is making our members’ lives better in the communities we serve. They are overjoyed to have this service.”

Jack Davis, General Manager, Pemiscot-Dunklin Fiber

Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services

Headquarters

Ellsworth, WI

Co-op Members

7,051

Subscribers

4,435

Miles Built

800

"We value the partnership we have with the Conexon team and we appreciate the advocacy they’re doing at the federal level to help get broadband to rural America. It would be tough for us to do this on our own.”

Nate Boettcher, President/CEO, Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services

Callaway Electric Cooperative

Headquarters

Fulton, Missouri

Co-op Members

5,000

Subscribers

9,780

Miles Built

1,983

Take Rate

44%

Installs Per Week

25

“When you have competition and you also have a Jonathan Chambers who shares with you how your competition views things, what’s important to them and the rules they play by, that begins to change some of the business decisions you make and you get a lot better at your business. Even if you have a lot of competition, you can win.”

Tom Howard, CEO, Callaway Electric Cooperative

Ostego Electric Cooperative

Headquarters

Hartwick, New York

Co-op Members

4,408

Subscribers

3,254

Miles Built

736

Take Rate

73%

Installs Per Week

5

"That decision had a direct impact on our communities’ ability to respond to the pandemic quickly and minimize the negative effects to follow."

Tim Johnson, CEO, Otsego Electric Cooperative