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!