FBA Presents – How Private Public Partnerships Can Help Bridge the Digital Divide

To address the digital divide, many unexpected players are now entering the fiber broadband market. Partnerships between traditional broadband providers and electric distribution companies have been on the rise over the past decade. Alcorn County Electric (ACE) is at the forefront of electric distribution companies expanding their offerings into the Fiber and Broadband segment. Today, partnerships are moving beyond commercial utilities, and into publicly owned utilities such as cities and municipalities.

Join Bruce Smith, CEO and Co-Founder of GEOGRAPH Technologies, a fiber mapping software supplier, as he recounts a recent interview with ACE CEO, Sean McGrath. Bruce will share details about the partnership between ACE, an electric cooperative in Corinth, MI, and New Albany Gas, Water, and Light, a municipal utility based in New Albany, MI, to provide quality broadband services to the over 10,000 Mississippi residents.

Highlights from the interview include:

• The inspiration and business goals driving the decision for an electric cooperative, focused on providing members with affordable, reliable electricity, to expand and provide fiber broadband services in partnership with New Albany Gas Water and Light, a municipal utility.
• Which initiatives were important to each partner, so each organization could realize their own goals while also creating a long term and profitable business together.
• How Alcorn County Electric Company deemed the project successful, from realizing a new revenue stream to becoming a more valued partner in their community.
• Challenges the partnership experienced launching a first generation FTTH broadband for-profit business, including launching during the COVID shutdown, the resulting post-COVID supply chain issues, challenges with firmware, the new experience of participating in FCC auctions, and learning a new regulatory environment.
• Key learnings resulting from the public-private partnership and how others can benefit from these experiences.

Presented by:

Bruce Smith, CEO and Co-Founder, GEOGRAPH Technologies

Sean McGrath, CEO, Alcorn County Electric Power Association (ACE Power)