We've Reached 14,000 Registrations!

10:39AM September 17, 2020

We are happy to announce that Gibson Connect now has over 14,000 members registered!  We are very grateful to those of you who have already connected and we appreciate you spreading the word about Gibson Connect’s high-speed internet, phone and TV services.

If you have not yet joined the Gibson Connect family, register today! If your zone has not reached its participation goal, please encourage your friends and neighbors to sign up, too.

Gibson EMC Receives State Broadband Grants

12:11PM September 02, 2020

We’re very happy to share that Gibson Electric Membership Corporation has been awarded $4,490,000 in three grants through the Tennessee Emergency Broadband Fund, developed using a portion of resources allocated to Tennessee through the Coronavirus Relief fund.  Two of the grants will provide 80 percent funding to Gibson EMC for the construction of a broadband infrastructure network in the Woodland Mills zone and parts of the Hornbeak zone. The third grant will provide 80 percent funding for the creation of up to 20 WiFi hotspots in the cooperative’s northwest Tennessee communities.

We sincerely appreciate Governor Bill Lee and our legislators for recognizing the importance of broadband accessibility in our state’s rural areas and for providing funding to help make this essential service available.

Alamo Reaches Participation Goal!

8:23AM August 10, 2020

We’re so excited for our consumer-members in the Alamo zone! This zone has now reached its participation goal, making it a step closer to high-speed, fiber-based internet service! The Bells zone is next in line at 84% of its participation goal and needs just need 66 more registrants to meet its goal. The South Fulton zone is close behind. South Fulton is at 78% and needs just 81 more members to register.

If you have not yet registered, sign up today at join.gibsonconnect.com. If your zone has not reached its participation goal, please encourage your friends and neighbors to register, too.

Troy and Woodland Mills Reach Participation Goal!

10:18AM July 24, 2020

Congratulations to members in our Troy and Woodland Mills zones for reaching 100% of their participation goal! Both of these zones will be included in our Phase III buildout.  We’re currently actively building in our Phase II zones and have much work left to do in these areas.

The engineering and construction of our high-speed, fiber-based network is a huge undertaking that is time-intensive. We hope to begin connecting members in our Rutherford zone in late winter 2020 or early spring of 2021, connecting members in our Kenton zone in spring or early summer of 2021; and connecting members in our Newbern zone in summer or early fall of 2021.  Next in line will be members in our Troy and Woodland Mills zones.  We’ll provide more information closer to that time. 

Alamo is very close behind with only 28 registrations needed (93%).  If you haven’t already registered, do it now!  We look forward to providing you with access to high-speed, fiber-based internet!

We've Reached 13,000 Registrations!

8:37AM July 21, 2020

Great news! We now have over 13,000 members registered for Gibson Connect’s high-speed internet service! Thanks to everyone who has registered.  Also, a huge THANK YOU to all who are already connected and have spread the word about our fantastic service.

If you have not yet registered, sign up today. If your zone has not reached its participation goal, please encourage your friends and neighbors to register, too.

Phase III Approved

11:35AM July 15, 2020

GIBSON CONNECT PHASE III FIBER BUILDOUT APPROVED

Phase III includes Rutherford, Kenton and Newbern Zones

Gibson Electric Membership Corporation and its not-for-profit subsidiary, Gibson Connect, have announced their boards have approved moving forward with Phase III of their broadband network buildout.  Phase III work will begin in the Rutherford, Kenton and Newbern zones.  These zones have met their participation goals using Gibson Connect’s registration website, join.gibsonconnect.com.

“A start date for Phase III has not been set, but board approval will enable us to soon begin the engineering step of the buildout,” says Dan Rodamaker, President and CEO of Gibson EMC and Gibson Connect.  “We plan to start Phase III with these three zones and add more zones a little later, based on join.gibsonconnect.com registrations, as well as engineering and grant/loan requirements,” he said.

Charles Phillips, Gibson EMC VP of Technical Services and Gibson Connect VP of Operations, explains, “Gibson Connect provides its internet service through Gibson EMC’s substations, meaning work must be completed in the substation and the fiber network must be built from the substation to the zone before Gibson Connect can begin construction in the zone.  A grant or loan can impact the order of our buildout because it is typically for an area that has met grant eligibility requirements and may have deadlines by which we must complete the work to receive the funding.” 

“Gibson EMC is actively seeking out and taking advantage of every grant opportunity in order to save our members’ money on construction costs,” Rodamaker says.  “Where grants are not available, we’re applying for low-interest loans.”

Rodamaker says the ReConnect loan Gibson EMC was awarded by the USDA will ultimately help construct the fiber network in certain parts of Obion County in Tennessee and in Gibson EMC’s Kentucky counties.  ReConnect also has a deadline by which Gibson EMC must complete the work, but Rodamaker says, “it allows a five-year period as opposed to the shorter deadlines of the grants.  Utilizing grants and low-interest loans will make the fiber network construction more affordable for Gibson EMC’s entire membership,” he says.

More than 4,700 consumer-members have been connected since construction started in February 2018.  “We’ve completed the initial construction in Phase I zones, and we are diligently working to connect those who have more recently signed up for the service,” Phillips says.  “Phase II is well underway, but there is still considerable work to do.  Board approval for Phase III zones will enable us to begin the initial step of the build in those areas,” Phillips said.

“We plan to ultimately provide high-speed internet access to all of our eligible members, but the buildout is a massive project that is time-intensive, he says.  “With about 3,100 miles of the fiber network to engineer and build, we knew from the time we started construction in August 2018 that it would take at least five years to provide access to all of our members.  Even so, we understand how urgently this service is needed and we are doing everything within our power to provide it as quickly as possible.”

“We began this project because our members told us they needed this service,” Rodamaker said, “and after experiencing the necessity to work and learn from home during the pandemic, we are more convinced than ever that we are doing the right thing for our members and our communities,” he said.  “Those who have already been connected are extremely pleased with and grateful for this service.”

Gibson Connect is a wholly-owned, not-for-profit subsidiary of Gibson EMC formed to provide high-speed internet access to Gibson EMC’s members.  Gibson EMC is a local, not-for-profit, member-owned and member-controlled cooperative serving almost 39,000 homes and businesses in eight west Tennessee counties (Crockett, Dyer, Gibson, Haywood, Lake, Lauderdale, Obion and Madison) and four west Kentucky counties (Carlisle, Fulton, Graves and Hickman).  Gibson EMC and Gibson Connect are equal opportunity employers and providers.

We've Reached 12,000 Registrations!

1:40PM May 01, 2020

Wow! We now have over 12,000 members registered for Gibson Connect’s high-speed internet service! Thanks to everyone who has registered, and a huge THANK YOU to all who are already connected and have spread the word about our fantastic service.

 If you have not yet registered, sign up today at join.gibsonconnect.com. If your zone has not reached its participation goal, please encourage your friends and neighbors to register, too.

Newbern Reaches Participation Goal!

9:41AM April 27, 2020

We’re so excited for our consumer-members in the Newbern zone! This zone has now reached its participation goal, making it a step closer to high-speed, fiber-based internet service! The Woodland Mills zone is next in line at 87% of its participation goal and needs just need 65 more registrants to meet its goal. The Troy and Alamo zones are also very close. Troy is at 84% and needs just 83 more members to register while Alamo is at 81% and needs only 105 more members to register. 

Gibson EMC Awarded Broadband Grant

9:26AM April 13, 2020

                Gibson Electric Membership Corporation has been awarded a grant for $703,518 through the State’s Broadband Accessibility Grant Program. This is the third Tennessee Broadband Accessibility Grant received by Gibson EMC since 2018.

                During the last application period, Gibson EMC applied for two Tennessee Broadband Accessibility Grants on behalf of its membership and one was awarded.  The grant, awarded by the State of Tennessee, will help Gibson EMC build a fiber optic network to make high-speed, fiber-based internet service available to parts of Obion County.

                “The current COVID-19 crisis has demonstrated just how important high-speed internet access is to our members in rural northwestern Tennessee and western Kentucky,” said Dan Rodamaker, President and CEO of Gibson Electric Membership Corporation and Gibson Connect, the cooperative’s wholly-owned, not-for-profit broadband subsidiary.  “We are thankful to Governor Bill Lee, Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe and to our legislators for helping to meet this essential need,” Rodamaker said.

                The grant will be used to serve the area west of the town of Obion along and around Highway 183, but Gibson EMC plans to go ahead and build out its fiber-to-the-home network to the entire Obion Zone.  To see if your address is within the Obion Zone, visit www.join.gibsonconnect.com and enter your address.  If you are eligible for service, you’ll see a Satellite map of your address.  Click “Next” and you’ll be provided your zone.

                “Gibson EMC plans to start engineering for the buildout in late summer and start building the main line fiber network before the end of 2020,” said Charles Phillips, Gibson EMC VP of Technical Services and Gibson Connect VP of Operations.  “Next service drops will be run; then splicing of main line fiber and services drops; and finally, we’ll do the in-home installation,” he explained.  “It’s a time-intensive process, but our members who have been connected are extremely happy with their service,” he said. 

                If you have not already registered for Gibson Connect’s high-speed, fiber-based internet service, you can do so through the join.gibsonconnect.com site or by calling 731-562-6000. 

                “We encourage everyone to register,” said Phillips.  “For members in the Obion Zone, registrations will help us plan our buildout and ensure members receive their internet, phone and TV service as quickly as possible.”

                Registration is just $20 and will apply toward a member’s first Gibson Connect bill when service is received. For areas that are not grant funded, Gibson EMC members are driving the order of our buildout.  Registering will help your zone reach its participation requirement and move your area up in the build order.  Ultimately, Gibson EMC hopes to provide high-speed internet access to all of its eligible members.

Broadband and TV Update

11:18AM January 23, 2020

January 2020 Gibson Connect Update

Hello, everyone.  Since our last update, crews have been conscientiously working to get Gibson Connect internet access to our members.  At the end of 2019, we finished construction of the Phase I zones, ending the year with 700 miles of fiber run and more than 3,000 members connected.  

Phase I

We completed installations for members who had initially signed up for service in Medina, Three Way, Dyer, Ridgely, Tiptonville and Samburg; and we’re now running service drops and doing installations for those who have signed up more recently. In fact, we’re getting new sign-ups daily and we’re working hard to connect these members quickly. At this time, it’s taking a little longer than we’d like, but our contractors are adding personnel to minimize our members’ wait time. We ask members in this area who are waiting to please be patient with us. We’ll get them connected as quickly as possible and they will be pleased with the service. Talk with those who already have the service; they will tell you it’s worth the wait.

Phase II

Construction of Phase II (Humboldt/Gibson, Trenton South, Trenton North, Gadsden and Hornbeak) is well underway.  Below are the “Steps to Installation” and an update on the project status in each of the Phase II zones.  We’re providing an estimated timeline, but we need to emphasize that the timeline is dependent on good weather and everything going as planned.  The times may be pushed out, but we’ll continue to push to provide service as quickly as possible.

Steps to Installation

1.       Engineering

2.       Build of main line fiber network

3.       Running of service drops

4.       Splicing of main line fiber and service drops

5.       In-home installation

·         Humboldt/Gibson Zone (Steps 4 and 5):  We have started splicing, are doing service drops and connecting members. About 200 are connected to date.  Assuming the weather is good and we don’t have any unexpected delays, we expect to see completion of this zone by July. 

·         Trenton South (Steps 3 and 4):  We are doing splicing and finishing up service drops.  We expect to begin connecting members by March.

·         Trenton North (Steps 2 and 3):  We have begun construction of the main fiber lines and running service drops.  Absent unexpected delays, we plan to begin connecting members in April. 

·         Gadsden (Step 1):  Engineering is underway. We expect construction of primary fiber lines and running of service drops to begin this spring and connections to begin before the end of September.

·         Hornbeak (Step 1):  We’re in the early stages of engineering. We expect construction of main fiber lines and running of service drops to begin in late-spring and connections to begin by October.

Congratulations to members in our Kenton zone and our Rutherford zone for reaching your participation goals! Together, we surpassed another milestone in January when we topped 11,000 members who have registered for our Connect service.

Gibson Connect TV

We’re pleased to announce that Gibson Connect Television is now available to members in the Medina, Three Way and Dyer zones; and it will become available in the Tiptonville, Ridgely and Samburg zones soon. We are limiting the rollout until we finalize arrangements for Designated Market Areas (DMAs) with local stations in other areas. However, if you are a member in another county (other than Madison and Gibson) who has Gibson Connect internet service and who also wants Gibson Connect TV, we can provide the service without the local channels at the same cost. Access to local channels will be added as soon as we have finalized arrangements.

We’re offering three TV Packages – Bronze, Silver and Gold. You can view these packages at www.gibsonconnect.com/gibsonconnecttv.  If you already have our internet service, you can sign up for Gibson Connect TV by calling or visiting your local Gibson EMC member service center or by calling 731-562-6000. We’ll need to provide you with a User ID and Password. With this information, you can download the Gibson Connect app and establish service using the setup guide appropriate for your device (Fire TV Stick, Mi Box, Android Mobile, Android TV, or IOS). Our setup guides and a channel guide are found at the bottom of the website page linked above.

Thank You!

As we’ve said before, our goal is to ultimately provide high-speed, fiber-based internet service to all of our members. To build a fiber network throughout our 12-county service area is a huge undertaking that will likely take another three years to complete, so we ask for your continued patience; and we thank you for your support. Gibson Connect is good for you and good for our communities. Because you are a member-owner of Gibson EMC, your not-for-profit cooperative and Gibson Connect is a wholly-owned, not-for-profit subsidiary…, purchasing from Gibson EMC and Gibson Connect, is essentially purchasing from yourself. Together we’ll continue to do great things!

Rutherford Reaches Participation Goal!

9:24AM October 28, 2019

Congratulations to Rutherford members for reaching your participation goal! Newbern is next in line with only 67 registrations needed. Gibson Connect is currently working on Phases I and II. They consist of the zones that first met their participation goals and the zones that have been awarded broadband grants. Gibson Connect will announce a third phase when it nears the completion of zones in Phase I and Phase II. We anticipate five phases in total. 

Kenton Reaches Goal!

2:36PM October 21, 2019

Congratulations to Kenton members for reaching your participation goal!

Broadband Project Update

11:21AM September 27, 2019

It’s been two years now since Gibson Electric Membership Corporation and its broadband subsidiary, Gibson Connect, launched join.gibsonconnect.com, a website where you and other members can register for just $20 and move your area a step closer to high-speed internet access. Several zones (Medina, Three Way and Dyer) quickly met their participation goals and we started engineering and construction in those zones during the summer of 2018. We also applied for and received Tennessee Broadband Accessibility Grant funds enabling a buildout for the Ridgely, Tiptonville and Samburg zones. This was Phase I of our buildout. In late April, more zones (Humboldt/Gibson, Trenton South, Trenton North, and Hornbeak) hit their participation goals and were approved (by the Gibson EMC and Gibson Connect boards) for Phase II of our buildout. We also applied for and were awarded a second Tennessee Broadband Accessibility Grant enabling the buildout of the Gadsden zone.

Following is an update on our progress as of September 4, 2019. Knowing that you want as much information as possible, we’re also providing projections. Please understand that while these are our plans, weather and other factors may cause delays.

Phase I

• Medina and Three Way Zones: We have connected 1,409 of the 1,777 members who have registered for Gibson Connect internet service in these zones. For more than a month we’ve been doing 70-80 installations per week which means we’re on track to have members who registered by July 1, 2019, connected by the end of September. 
• Dyer Zone: We have connected 399 of the 623 residential members who have registered for Gibson Connect internet service in our Dyer zone. For more than a month, we’ve been doing 70-80 installations per week which means we’re on track to have members who registered by July 1, 2019, connected by the end of September.
• Ridgely Zone: We have begun connecting service to a few residential members in the Ridgely zone; however, this in-home installation work will move at a relatively slow pace until we finish up connections in the Medina, Three Way and Dyer zones. We expect this could happen as early as October or November. 
• Tiptonville and Samburg Zones: We are currently running service drops. We plan to begin splicing by mid-September and start scheduling some in-home installations in October.

We are pleased to report that Phase II work is also underway. Based on what makes the most sense from an engineering design perspective, we’ll be building Phase II in the following order:  (1) Humboldt/Gibson Zone; (2) Trenton South Zone; (3) Trenton North Zone; (4) Gadsden Zone; and (5) Hornbeak Zone.

If you are unsure which zone you are in, you can determine this by visiting join.gibsonconnect.com or you can call your local Gibson EMC member service center. We’ll be happy to check this for you.

Phase II

• Humboldt/Gibson Zone: We have begun main fiber line construction and service drops in this zone. We also have begun splicing in the southern parts of the Humboldt/Gibson Zone, and we will continue moving northward through October. Areas north of Humboldt toward Fruitland can expect construction and splicing to begin in late fall. Other work in the “Steps to Buildout” (below) also will be completed as resources become available.
• Trenton South Zone: We have begun engineering this zone. We expect construction and service drops to begin in October or November and splicing to follow in December or January. Other work in the “Steps to Buildout” (below) also will be completed as resources become available.
• Trenton North Zone: We expect to see construction of main fiber lines and service drops begin in November or December and splicing to follow in January or February. Other work in the “Steps to Buildout” (below) also will be completed as resources become available.
• Gadsden Zone: We expect to see construction of main fiber lines and service drops begin in February or March and splicing to follow in April or May. Other work in the “Steps to Buildout” (below) also will be completed as resources become available.
• Hornbeak Zone: We expect to see the construction of main fiber lines and service drops begin in March or April and follow with splicing in May or June. Other work in the “Steps to Buildout” (below) also will be completed as resources become available.

As your local, non-profit, member-owned and member-controlled cooperative, Gibson EMC and Gibson Connect are doing this broadband buildout to meet your need for high-speed internet service and to support our communities. We’re encouraged when members like Mayors Chris Younger of Dyer and Denny Johnson of Lake County tell us that having access to high-speed internet has benefitted their communities.

“We are so blessed that we have a progressive cooperative like Gibson EMC that is not only giving our rural area access to world-class internet service but also proactively applying for and securing grants throughout its service area,” said Lake County Mayor Denny Johnson. “Lake County will be the first true 1 Gig county in West Tennessee. This is a game-changer for our county and for potential industries considering the Port of Cates Landing.”

“Gibson Connect’s speed and reliability have improved efficiency in several of our departments,” said Dyer Mayor Chris Younger. “More and more, we rely on online resources, and it’s imperative that we have fast and dependable internet access. I’m grateful Gibson Connect serves our community, and our residents are incredibly pleased with the service they’re receiving. From the youngest to the oldest, they’re all more than satisfied with their new Gibson Connect internet service!”

“Our members will have internet access equal to or better than major metropolitan areas and at reasonable prices,” said Charles Phillips, Gibson EMC VP of Technical Services and Gibson Connect VP of Operations. 

Gibson Connect’s residential offerings are:
​​​​​​​

• 250 Mbps Internet with Professional-Grade Wi-Fi for Just $49.95/Month: This service has blazing fast internet access for email, web browsing, video streaming and all of your social media needs with equally fast uploads.
• 1 Gbps (1 Gig – 1,000 Mbps) Internet with Professional-Grade Wi-Fi for Just $69.95/month: This is the fastest internet available with speeds up to 100 faster than DSL. You can Download HD movies in less than a minute!
• Phone for Just $24.95/Month: Unlimited local and long distance within the continental U.S., and in most areas, you can keep your current telephone number.
  
  Gibson Connect also has business products available. Learn about these at https://www.gibsonconnect.com/business or by calling your local Gibson EMC member service center.

And for those members who are interested in a Gibson Connect TV package, it is in the works.  We had planned to launch this service already, but we encountered quality issues that led to a change in vendors and consequently caused a delay. We are now working with a new software vendor that we believe will better meet Gibson Connect’s and our members’ expectations. We have begun testing this new product, and we’ll let you know as soon as it is ready to be deployed.

You and other members are driving our construction plans. If you want us to build fiber to your home or business, register at join.gibsonconnect.com today. When a zone reaches the required participation level, our board of trustees will vote to approve the fiber build-out. Zones that demonstrate the highest levels of interest by exceeding the required participation levels will earn priority, so make sure to encourage others - your friends, neighbors and community - to register too!

Steps to Buildout

1. We begin with contractors doing the engineering design.
2. Once the design is completed, the contractor builds the primary fiber lines along our primary electric lines.
3. Next, the contractor will begin the splicing process to direct the primary fiber communication path back to the substation.
4. During this time, service drops from the street/road to the home will be constructed. (If your electric service is overhead, your fiber service also will be overhead. If your electric service is underground, your fiber service also will be underground.)
5. The contractor or a Gibson Connect employee will then perform additional splicing to direct the fiber communication path to the home, attach a network interface device (NID) to the home and test it to ensure the fiber is ready for installation.
6. Once it tests ready, we will call you to schedule your in-home installation.

We're up to 9,000 supporters!

9:39AM June 05, 2019

Gibson Connect is up to 9,000 supporters! These supporters are Gibson EMC members who have registered for Gibson Connect’s high-speed, fiber-based internet service! A sincere thank you to everyone who has registered! 

If you haven’t signed up yet, join your friends and neighbors by registering today at join.gibsonconnect.com. If your zone hasn't yet hit it's participation goal, please encourage your friends and neighbors to sign up too!

Hornbeak reaches goal!

4:23PM May 17, 2019

Congratulations to Hornbeak for reaching 100% of your participation goal!

Phase II Approved

3:13PM April 30, 2019

                Gibson Electric Membership Corporation and its not-for-profit subsidiary, Gibson Connect, announced today that their boards have approved moving forward with Phase II of their broadband buildout.  Phase II will include the zones that have met or are very close to meeting their participation goals - Trenton North, Trenton South, Humboldt/Gibson, Gadsden and Hornbeak.

                Gibson EMC’s members are guiding the order of the broadband buildout by registering for high-speed internet service at join.gibsonconnect.com.  “A start date for Phase II construction has not yet be set, but Board approval enables us to begin the detailed engineering step of the buildout,” said Dan Rodamaker, President and CEO of Gibson EMC and Gibson Connect.  “As the engineering design is completed, the construction of the fiber distribution or main lines will begin. As the fiber distribution lines are built, we’ll perform the fiber splicing. As the splicing is completed, we’ll put in the service drops; and finally, we will do the in-home installations.” 

                “We are still diligently working on Phase 1 - Medina, Three Way, Dyer, Ridgely, Samburg and Tiptonville,” said Charles Phillips, Gibson EMC VP of Technical Services and Gibson Connect VP of Operations.  “In Medina and Three Way we have connected more than 600 residential members; and with the improved weather, service drops and installations are progressing well,” Phillips explained. 

                Phillips said Gibson Connect expects to continue working in Medina and Three Way for several more months.  “However, if you haven’t registered, but want Gibson Connect service, you should register now at join.gibsonconnect.com,” he said.  “Once we leave the area, we’ll need to charge a higher installation fee to return.”

                In Dyer and Ridgely, Phillips said they have almost completed the fiber distribution system.  “Construction of the main fiber lines is in the early stages in Tiptonville. And, once we finish up the Tiptonville area, we’ll move on to start the main fiber line construction in Samburg,” he said.  “We’re working as quickly as we can, but we ask our members to be patient.  Building more than 600 miles of fiber-to-the-home per phase is a large and time-intensive process,” Phillips said.  “The good news is that our product is excellent.  Those members who have been connected say they love the service!”

                In our follow-up survey, Diane Deloach of Three Way said, “WOW! We are telling our family to sign up.  Don’t change a thing. Your program works.”  Susan Morris of Medina said, “The installer was great!  He went above and beyond!  Super nice.  Everything was great.” And, Larry Chandler of Medina said, “They were professional and polite.  I couldn’t ask for a better experience.”

                “Our goal is to ultimately provide all of our eligible members with access to high-speed, fiber-based service, but to deliver fiber-to-the-home access throughout our 12-county service area will take approximately five years,” Rodamaker said.  “To help move the project along and hold down costs, we are vigorously pursuing grants for those areas that qualify.  So far, we have been awarded a $1.3 million Tennessee Broadband Accessibility Grant and $1.22 million in CAF II funding for areas in Tennessee and in Kentucky,” he said.  “Recently we also applied for two more Tennessee Broadband Accessibility Grants for Gadsden and northern Obion County.  We were awarded $588,974 for the Gadsden area.  We plan to apply for other low-interest loans or grants through the USDA Rural Utilities Service as they become available.”

Humboldt/Gibson reaches goal!

1:45PM April 29, 2019

Congratulations to the Humboldt/Gibson zone that has reached 100% of its zone goal! We'll keep you informed of our progress when engineering and construction begin. We look forward to serving you!

Gibson EMC Awarded Second Tennessee Broadband Accessibility Grant

3:55PM March 19, 2019

Gibson EMC will receive $588,974 in the latest round of the Tennessee Broadband Accessibility Grants. For more information, visit https://www.tnelectric.org/2019/03/19/tennessee-co-ops-receive-6-2-million-in-state-grants-for-broadband/.

Phase I Update

4:57PM January 30, 2019

Hi, everyone. Since we started Phase I construction last summer, we’ve had some major delays between the weather and contractors.  At this point we’re about five months behind where we had expected to be in the buildout for Medina and Three Way. We apologize that we are behind schedule. We completely understand the frustration with the delays.  We are frustrated with the delays too. 

We’ve worked through most of our engineering design problems and the process (of overhead construction, splicing, service drops and connections) is flowing much more smoothly now. These changes will enable us to have a more orderly and productive build moving forward.

In Medina and Three Way, we’ve completed almost all of the overhead middle-mile construction, but we still have a lot of splicing and service drops (both overhead and underground) to do. Unfortunately, the record-setting wet weather continues to delay work on underground service drops and there are a lot of these in Medina and Three Way. When our contractors cannot do work on underground service drops without causing undue damage to members’ yards, they are moving to places where they can do overhead service drops. 

Currently we are connecting about 40 members per week and we’re pushing our contractors to ramp up to about 80 connections per week. With the contractor adjustments we’ve made and some good weather, we expect to meet this goal of 80 connections per week by April 1.

We understand that our members want and need high-speed, fiber-based internet service as quickly as possible and we’re working very hard to provide it.  

Ultimately, we plan to provide access to all of our members who are eligible; but it is a huge project that will take five or more years to complete. It will take us longer than you’d like and longer than we’d like to provide this service to everyone, but we’re pushing the project forward as fast as we can. The end product will be a really good thing for our individual members and a game changer for our communities. We ask for your continued patience and support.

Gibson Connect Supporters 8,000 Strong!

1:54PM January 28, 2019

We've hit a new milestone!  More than 8,000 Gibson EMC members have registered and shown support for the Gibson Connect high-speed, fiber-based internet service build-out!  Members in Medina and Three Way are loving the service. Following are a few of the comments members in that area have made about the installation and service:

• "Your technician was very respectful and smart. We appreciate y'all doing this. It's hard to get internet like this. To have a choice is very rare. To have options is wonderful."
• "I have struggled with internet for 13 years. I have had them all. I work from home. I have been extremely pleased. Y'all were great before, but even better now!"
• "It's been a great experience. I am involved in a neighborhood website and we are putting it out there to tell everyone to sign up."

Contractor and weather issues have put us behind schedule, so we still have a lot of work to do in the area.  But, our members' comments show it is well worth the wait! 

A sincere thank you to everyone who has registered!  If your zone hasn't yet hit it's participation goal, please encourage your friends and neighbors to sign up today!

Trenton North Reaches Zone Goal!

3:04PM November 29, 2018

Congratulations to Trenton North for reaching 100% of its participation goal! We look forward to serving you with high-speed, fiber-based internet! We'll keep you posted on our progress moving forward.

Trenton South reaches goal!

8:22AM October 29, 2018

A big congratulations to Trenton South for reaching 100% of its participation goal! Thank you to everyone who encouraged others to register! Please keep up the good work! 

Rutherford at 50% of goal!

10:12AM September 04, 2018

Congratulations to Rutherford for reaching 50 percent of its participation goal! Only 198 registrations are needed! Please keep sharing with your friends and neighbors!

Kenton and Alamo Reach 50%!

9:57AM July 26, 2018

Wow! Congratulations to Kenton and Alamo who have both reached 50 percent of their goal! Kenton only needs 132 more registrations to reach 100%, and Alamo needs 279. Thank you to everyone who has registered, and please keep encouraging your family, neighbors and friends to register as well!

Fast is Getting Faster

5:21PM July 06, 2018

We’ve got exciting news! Gibson Connect is increasing the speed of our initial 100 Mbps symmetrical internet offering to 250 Mbps symmetrical for the same low price of $49.95/month! If you previously signed up for 100 Mbps, your order will automatically be updated to reflect 250 Mbps for the very same price. Thank you for your support and have a wonderful weekend!

An Update on Gibson Connect

2:46PM June 06, 2018

We’ve been especially busy at Gibson EMC and at Gibson Connect preparing to provide you with access to high-speed internet service. This is something that we are committed to doing because access is vitally important to our members and to our communities.

It was just last July that our board voted to form Gibson Connect, Gibson EMC’s not-for-profit subsidiary.  In October we launched join.gibsonconnect.com, a place where members register and, based on meeting their zones’ participation requirements, guide the order of our fiber construction process.

In 2017 we applied for three Tennessee Broadband Grants and in January of this year we were notified that we had been approved for one that will help us serve Lake County and the far northwestern part of Obion County.

By February, three of our zones had met their participation goals and our board approved moving forward with the first phase of Gibson Connect’s construction project.  During Phase 1 we will build fiber to the three zones that first met their participation goals (Medina, Dyer and Three Way) and the zones covered by the grant (Tiptonville, Ridgely and Samburg).

In March, Gibson Connect purchased the LitePipe division of Jones Telecommunications and hired former owner Tony Jones.  Since that time, we have brought in additional Gibson Connect staff to help ensure we are well prepared to provide the internet service you need.

We’ve also ordered materials, sent out requests for proposals, done engineering and will begin construction this month. We hope to have Phase 1 completed and the engineering started for Phase II by the end of 2018 or by early 2019.  

Because of the magnitude of this project – in terms of the cost, the area to be covered and the work required, we must do the fiber buildout in a way that is financially prudent and physically manageable.  At best, this will be a multi-year project, but we will keep you informed all along the way.  We sincerely appreciate your support and ask for your continued patience. 

We've reached 6,000 supporters!

3:01PM April 27, 2018

We’ve hit 6,000 supporters in just over seven months! We’re thrilled that over 16 percent of eligible Gibson Connect customers have now signed up for high-speed, fiber-based internet! Thank you to everyone who has registered and spread the word. We’re currently scheduling registration events throughout our service area so we can answer your questions and/or sign you up for service. Check our calendar on the events tab to find a time when we’ll be in your area. Please keep sharing!

Troy reaches 50%!

11:11AM April 23, 2018

Way to go, Troy! You are currently at 51 percent of your goal with only 262 registrations needed. Please keep spreading the word to your family, friends and neighbors!

Three Way Meets Zone Goal!

4:16PM February 23, 2018

Congratulations Three Way! You are the third zone to reach 100% of your participation goal, and we are looking forward to serving you high-speed, fiber-based, reliable and affordable internet service!  Thank you to all who have spread the word, and please continue to do so! We'll keep you posted on Gibson Connect's progress moving forward.

Gibson Connect to Begin Fiber Buildout

8:24AM February 21, 2018

    Gibson Electric Membership Corporation and its not-for-profit subsidiary, Gibson Connect, LLC, have announced that the companies will begin the buildout of high-speed fiber in Medina, Dyer, and Three Way, as well as in the area covered by the Tennessee broadband grant awarded for most of Lake County and the far northwestern part of Obion County. 

     “Our Gibson Connect and Gibson EMC boards have approved a resolution to design, engineer and build fiber in these areas,” said Dan Rodamaker, President and CEO of both companies.  “This is an exciting time for our members,” he said.  “Gaining access to high-speed, fiber-based internet service will have a profoundly positive impact on the quality of our member-owners’ lives,” Rodamaker said.

     Gibson EMC’s board of trustees formed Gibson Connect in 2017 after passage of the Tennessee Broadband Accessibility Act which allowed the state’s rural electric cooperatives to provide retail broadband service.  Then in mid-October Gibson Connect launched a website enabling members to register for service and guide the fiber buildout.  Medina was the first of 27 zones throughout Gibson EMC’s 12-county service area to reach its participation goal.  Dyer reached its goal next and Three Way is now at 96% with only 9 registrations to go.  The decision was made to move forward with Three Way since it was clear that zone would meet its participation goal within days. Also, because both Medina and Three Way are served from the same substation, it is more efficient and cost-effective to move forward with both zones simultaneously.  The grant, which covers underserved areas of Lake County and the far northwestern part of Obion County, will enable Gibson Connect to build out the Tiptonville, Ridgely and Samburg zones.

    “Our goal is to ultimately provide access to high-speed, fiber-based service to all of our members,” Rodamaker said, “but we must use a phased approach.  Phase 1 will require us to design, engineer and construct over 500 miles of fiber,” he said. “We expect that it could take a year or so to complete Phase 1.  Those members who are nearest to substations will receive service first; and as we build and pass members’ homes or businesses, we can serve those locations too,” Rodamaker explained.

     In addition to high-speed, fiber-based internet service, Gibson Connect will offer telephone service.  And, based on member interest, Gibson Connect will offer a television/video option although that offering has not yet been finalized.  Members can learn all about Gibson Connect, view the offerings, check their zone’s progress and register at join.gibsonconnect.com.  Members also can call 844-859-6767 to get more information and register.

     “Our members have been encouraging us for years to provide access to high-speed internet service,” Rodamaker said. “We appreciate Governor Haslam and all of our legislators who took the steps needed to enable us to provide this essential service,” he said.  “I also appreciate our board of trustees; they are a progressive group who sincerely desire to meet our members’ needs,” continued Rodamaker.  “Most importantly, we appreciate the support of our members.  Because of their confidence and trust as demonstrated through registrations supporting the fiber buildout, we will enhance the quality of life for our members and our communities.”

Newbern Reaches 50%!

3:07PM February 19, 2018

Great job, Newbern! Congratulations for reaching 50% of your zone goal! Only 172 registrations are needed to reach 100%. Please continue sharing with your neighbors!

Humboldt/Gibson reaches 50%!

2:28PM February 13, 2018

Congratulations to the Humboldt/Gibson zone for reaching 50 percent of its zone goal! Only 249 registrations are needed for this zone to reach 100 percent! Please keep sharing! 

Woodland Mills reaches 50% of its goal!

8:51AM February 08, 2018

Congratulations to Woodland Mills for surpassing 50% of its zone goal! Currently at 51%, Woodland Mills needs 245 registrations to reach 100%. Thanks to everyone who has registered. Please keep encouraging your friends and neighbors to register as well. We are excited about  making high-speed, fiber-based internet a reality!

Dyer reaches 100% of Goal!

8:42AM February 08, 2018

Way to go, Dyer!!! You're the second zone to reach 100% of your participation goal! A big thanks to everyone who worked so hard to get their family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, etc... to register! Please keep up the good work! We'll move forward and keep you posted on Gibson Connect's progress! Again, congratulations, Dyer!!!

Medina Zone Reaches 100% of Goal!

4:59PM January 13, 2018

This is a historic day for Gibson Connect and Medina! The Medina Zone is our first to reach 100% of goal, a milestone that moves us much closer to providing access to high-speed, fiber-based internet service to members in that zone. Next our board will vote to proceed with engineering, ordering materials and construction. Please continue encouraging your family, friends, co-workers and neighbors to register at join.gibsonconnect.com now and throughout engineering and construction!  Gibson Connect is a not-for-profit subsidiary of Gibson EMC (a not-for-profit, member-owned and member-controlled cooperative) and we need your continued support. We will keep you informed of our progress.  Thank you, Medina Zone! 

Hornbeak now at 50%!

8:14AM January 05, 2018

Congratulations to Hornbeak for reaching 50% of its goal! Only 247 more registrations are needed in this zone. Keep encouraging your friends and neighbors to register. We are excited about offering high-speed, reliable and affordable internet service to our members!

Gadsden reaches 50%!

4:46PM January 04, 2018

Congratulations to Gadsden for reaching 50 percent of its participation goal! Only 119 more registrations are needed for this zone! Also, all zones are now at 20 percent or more! Thank you to all who have spread the word. Please keep encouraging your friends and neighbors to register!

Three Way Surpasses 50%!

8:54AM December 27, 2017

Congratulations to Three Way for reaching 52% of its zone goal over the Christmas holiday! Only 112 more registrants are needed. Thank you to those who have registered, and please keep spreading the word!

Trenton North Members Reach 50%!

10:06AM December 07, 2017

Congratulations to the Trenton North members who have now reached 50 percent of their goal! Only 241 more registrations are needed. Thanks to everyone who has registered and to those of you who have promoted the program. We are excited about offering this essential service to you!

Dyer Exceeds 50% of Goal!

1:09PM November 30, 2017

Congratulations to Dyer for surpassing 50% of its participation goal and moving into second place! With 52%, only 140 more registrations are needed for Dyer to reach its goal. Please keep encouraging your friends and neighbors to register so we can begin offering high-speed, fiber-based internet service in your area.

Congrats to Medina and Trenton South

10:14AM November 24, 2017

Congratulations to Medina and Trenton South!  Medina has surpassed 60% of its participation goal and Trenton South has hit 50%! Thanks to everyone who has registered and especially to our Zone Champs! Wishing all of you a great weekend! Lots to be thankful for!

Medina Hits Milestone!

10:51AM November 09, 2017

Congratulations to Medina for hitting a milestone! You're the first zone to reach 50 percent of your participation goal!  Great job Medina zone champions!  

Many of our other zones are doing really well too.  We appreciate everyone who has registered and we especially thank our Zone Champions for helping to get high-speed, fiber-based internet access to your areas. 

If you'd like materials to distribute, you can download and print them from your Dashboard. We also have handouts and cards available at our Gibson EMC member service centers.  Soon, we'll have door hangers too.  Please keep sharing our social media posts and encouraging your friends and neighbors to register.

Eight Zones at 30% of Goal

11:21AM November 08, 2017

With less than one month into registrations, we have eight Gibson Connect Zones at 30% to goal or more.  Medina is really excelling; they are at 49% today!  Trenton South is at 41% and Trenton North is at 39%.  Dyer is not far behind at 36%.  In fact, all of our zones have made good progress since we launched on October 10.  A special shout out to our Zone Champions!  We really appreciate all you are doing to get high-speed, fiber-based internet service to your areas!  Keep up the great work everyone!

Supporters Hit 1,000 Mark in First Week

11:30AM October 18, 2017

Wow! After just one week our join.gibsonconnect.com supporters hit 1,000! Thanks for your positive comments and your willingness to help make this essential service available throughout our area. We sent a press release out yesterday to help increase awareness, but you have the most impact!  Please continue sharing on social media and talking with your neighbors, friends and family.  Thanks again and congratulations on a fantastic first week!

First Milestone

11:34AM October 12, 2017

Hurray! Yesterday we reached our first Gibson Connect milestone when all of our 27 Gibson Connect zones showed participation levels.  We launched Gibson Connect at our first Gibson EMC Member Appreciation Event in Trenton. 

At this moment, our two Trenton zones are leading the pack; the Trenton South zone is already at 15% of its goal and the Trenton North zone is at 14%.  The Medina and Dyer zones are not far behind at 11% to goal. Next are the Newbern and Hornbeak zones at 8% to goal.  The Three Way, Rutherford and Gadsden zones come in at 5%.  We have a total of 625 supporters so far.  Thanks to all of you who are helping to spread the word!  Zone Champions rock!

Gibson Connect - Powered by Gibson EMC - Is Here!

9:42AM September 08, 2017

Since 1936, Gibson Electric Membership Corporation has provided its members with the essential service of electricity.  Now, at your urging, we're taking steps to provide you with the essential service of high-speed internet connectivity.  Gibson Connect, LLC was formed in July 2017.  It is a not-for-profit, wholly owned subsidiary of Gibson EMC.   

What makes Gibson Connect different?  First, Gibson Connect is powered by the very same people you already know and trust.  For us, it's not about profit; it's about providing you with excellent service and supporting our communities.  Our goal is to ultimately provide all of our eligible* members access to a 100% fiber network.  This is exciting for our members and our communities because fiber offers many important benefits:

• Reliable - It is less affected by weather than other sources.
• Extremely Fast - It gives you access up to 1 Gig (1,000 megabits per second). That's 100 times faster than the national average.
• No Buffering - With  our 1 Gig speed you can download a 2-hour HD movie in less than a minute or a 9-hour audiobook in less than a second.
• Not Just Internet - Gibson Connect plans to provide telephone) and possibly TV/video (if there is enough interest) over the same connection.  Our telephone offering will operate the same as your local telephone service, but it will include unlimited long distance and advanced calling features. 

You and other members will drive our construction plans. If you want us to build fiber to your home or business, register today.  Encourage others - your friends, neighbors and community - to register too!  When a zone reaches the required participation level, our board of trustees will vote to approve the fiber build-out.  Zones that demonstrate the highest levels of interest by exceeding the required participation levels will earn priority. 

Gibson EMC has a proud history of providing power to the people of this area and we look forward to providing connectivity to the communities we know and love!

For more information, please check out our Frequently Asked Questions . 

*Tennessee law prevents Gibson Connect from serving Gibson EMC members within  the West Kentucky & Tennessee Telecommunications Cooperative service area (in Tennessee).