Rural Broadband Expansion Announced in Gleason

Breaking ground for the announcement of rural broadband expansion by Charter Spectrum on Thursday at the Gleason Community Center were (L to R) Zach Bates, Spectrum Director of Gov. Affairs; Ronnie Craig, Spectrum Sr. Director of RDOF Construction; Weakley County Commissioner Larry Hudson, state Rep. Tandy Darby, state Sen. John Stevens, and Gleason Mayor Charles Anderson. Photo by Sabrina Bates/The Enterprise

Buildout Event Is Part of Spectrum’s $5 Billion Multi-Year Rural Digital Opportunity Fund

GLEASON (July 28) — Spectrum and community leaders gathered Thursday in Gleason at its Community Center to celebrate construction on a fiber-optic network buildout that will ultimately bring gigabit broadband and other Spectrum services to more than 3,700 homes and small businesses in Weakley County.

The network buildout is part of Spectrum’s approximately $5 billion investment in unserved rural communities, which includes $1.2 billion won in the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) RDOF auction. The company’s RDOF expansion will provide broadband access to approximately 1 million customer locations as estimated by the FCC across 24 states in the coming years.

Spectrum representatives, along with state Sen. John Stevens, state Rep. Tandy Darby and county leaders celebrated the expansion project and the launch of Spectrum Internet®, Mobile, TV and Voice services already available to nearly 900 homes and small businesses in the buildout area. Zach Bates of Spectrum announced to the crowd gathered Thursday, the company selects areas for buildouts that demonstrate good partnerships and Weakley County served as one of the best partners for the company. Gleason Mayor Charles Anderson welcomed representatives to Gleason and thanked the company, along with other officials who helped get the project under way for rural broadband expansion.

“It is a priority for our state to expand broadband to homes and small businesses that do not currently have access to reliable, high-speed internet,” said state Sen. John Stevens. “West Tennessee is a largely rural area and we welcome Spectrum’s investment to connecting our communities.”

“Through RDOF, Spectrum is making a multiyear investment to extend gigabit broadband networks to unserved communities across America,” said Craig Loden, Vice President of Construction for Spectrum in Tennessee. “Our commitment is making it possible to bring high-value broadband, mobile, TV and voice services to Weakley County. We will provide superior connectivity to local residents and small businesses at highly competitive prices, backed by an organization committed to craftsmanship and service.”

Following remarks and a ceremonial groundbreaking, Spectrum leadership and elected officials hosted a “Connecting Your Community” roundtable discussion.

“I’m thrilled that Spectrum is expanding its network into Weakley County through the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund,” said state Rep. Tandy Darby. “This growth will bring unmatched economic opportunity to our region and our constituents.”

Darby said broadband internet to be the new superhighway for the region and commended those who had “boots on the ground” to get this project going.

Spectrum Internet Gig, with download speeds of 1 Gbps, will be available throughout the buildout area. Spectrum Internet offers starting speeds of 300 Mbps, with Spectrum Internet Ultra providing download speeds of 500 Mbps. For small and medium-sized businesses, Spectrum Business Internet offers download speeds of 300 Mbps, 600 Mbps and 1 Gbps. Local residents and business owners should visit spectrumruralexpansion.com to learn more about when their home or business may be able to receive Spectrum services.

“Reliable and affordable internet is vital to support education, business development, and economic opportunity. Currently, Weakley County has far too many homes and businesses without access to reliable and affordable broadband services,” said U.S. Rep. David Kustoff. “It is a top priority of mine to ensure that rural West Tennessee communities receive adequate funding and resources for broadband infrastructure. Thank you to the FCC and Spectrum for bringing internet, mobile, TV, and voice services to more than 800 unserved homes and small businesses in Weakley County. West Tennessee is looking forward to more broadband expansion to come.”

Ranked by U.S. News & World Report as the Best Internet Service Provider for Rural Areas in its 2021-22 ratings, Spectrum Internet also exceeded advertised download and upload speeds for all tiers measured — even during peak weeknight usage between 7 and 11 p.m. — according to the FCC’s most recent “Measuring Broadband America Fixed Broadband Report” issued in December 2021. And all Spectrum Internet plans have no data caps, modem fees or contracts.

More information about Charter can be found at corporate.charter.com.