On April 8 in a 1:09 minute video posted on the company's Facebook account the Glasgow Electric Plant Board announced Phase X that seeks to expedite Glasgow's upgrade to fiber optic internet. Photo courtesy of Aaron Russell.
By MICHAEL CRIMMINS
Glasgow News 1
Most Barren County and Glasgow residents were outside watching the sun slowly darken and the shadow’s sharpen from the eclipse when the Glasgow Electric Plant Board took to social media to announce the beginning of a new fiber optic phase: Phase X.
Originally the EPB planned to slowly upgrade customers broadband over the course of four years with their service area sectioned off into four quadrants. Now, according to Aaron Russell, communications director for the EPB, the new phase will combine the next three phases — the first phase being nearly complete — into one with the hope of working on fiber optic all throughout the city.
“Our original deployment plan for fiber was four phases across four years; doing a quadrant of the city each year,” Russell said. “Phase X is taking the remaining three phases and instead of planning them out a year at a time we’re going to hit it all at once.”
Russell said one of the main reason for the quickened pace was the positive feedback they have received from customers in the Phase One with many of those without the fiber optic internet if “they could get it sooner.” He also said the fiber optic upgrade yielded customer upgrades and increased retention; all of which also contributed to the expeditious new phase.
“We’ve seen good results so we decided to speed up this process,” Russell said.
While the “essential equipment” and the design process of Phase X was completed with cash on hand, Russell said the company would likely have to do a bond issuance — or some other fundraising — for the actual installation, though he was unsure the specifics at this time as that would be way “down the road.”
Russell said the contractors, Ervin Cable Construction, who also did work on Phase One, began their work today. Russell would not say what area of town would be the next to receive the upgrade saying it would be unveiled next week. However he did say the area is one that has experience a lot of issues with their copper internet service.
“It is an area that is well deserving of this because they have been through a lot of trouble in the way of our copper internet service and we want to reward them for hanging on with us and having incredible patience,” Russell said.
In the end, Russell said he hoped the expedited upgrade would bring their customers the best service possible. He added that this new phase had the proposed goal of having “every home in Glasgow hooked up by the end of 2025.”
“We’re excited about this project,” Russell said.
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