BrightRidge Broadband exceeds 20,000 customers; continues rural buildout
JOHNSON CITY — Just six years from startup, BrightRidge Broadband is now serving more than 20,000 homes and businesses with up to 10Gbps symmetrical fiber to the premise available at more than 73 percent of BrightRidge Electric serviceable addresses in Washington and Sullivan counties.
This achievement underscores BrightRidge’s continuing commitment to offer broadband to every electric address as budgets permit. With assistance from federal, state and local grants, BrightRidge is two years ahead of the original 8-year rollout plan.
“Reaching 20,000 customers is proof positive of our team’s dedication and the trust our community places in us,” BrightRidge CEO Jeff Dykes said. “From the initial rollout, our focus remains on providing affordable connectivity at nation-leading speeds to every corner of our service area.”
BrightRidge Broadband offers unmatched locally based customer service, a triple-redundant network, and has never raised prices in its six-year history.
In alignment with BrightRidge’s mission to bridge the digital divide, new service areas were recently activated in rural Fall Branch, South Central, and neighborhoods south of Jonesborough in Washington County through a Tennessee Economic & Community Development Middle Mile grant.
Funded at $9.54 million, including a $2.86 million BrightRidge match, the grant directly unlocks service to more than 2,067 locations. From this new rural infrastructure, BrightRidge will add a further 3,828 locations over the next 14 months.
“Expanding into unserved and underserved areas reflects our commitment to ensuring everyone has the digital tools they need to thrive in today’s economy” Chief Broadband Officer Stacy Evans said. “As we started with a clean sheet design, we really have constructed a world-class fiber network that is recognized repeatedly as a top performer in both national and regional publications.”
About BrightRidge
BrightRidge is a publicly owned electric utility serving 83,671 customers in Washington, Sullivan, Carter and Greene counties. It is the 10th largest local power company in the Tennessee Valley Authority service area. BrightRidge Broadband, a division of BrightRidge, offers nation-leading 10GB symmetrical fiber-to-the-premise services to more than 30,000 locations in its service area.