Special to The Sun-Sentinel
BATESVILLE — On Sept. 20, TVIfiber, a subsidiary of Tallahatchie Valley Electric Power Association, hit a monumental milestone when they activated their 5,000th broadband internet customer.
“The pandemic has shown the importance of having reliable, high-speed internet, for students of all ages, teachers and professionals who work from home.” said TVEPA and TVIfiber Chief Executive Officer Brad Robison. “To recap, TVIfiber was established in June of 2019, construction began in September of 2019 and the first customer service was activated in January of 2020.”
On Thursday, Oct. 7, a celebration for the 5,000th customer was held at the residence in Sarah, which is part of the rural Tate County service territory. TVIfiber awarded 5,000th customer Jessica Griffin a smart TV along with other gift items.
“I now have peace of mind, due to having a reliable internet company for my timed test, with online classes at NWCC,” said Griffin, who added, “My children can now enjoy entertainment through streaming services and using the internet for their games, in addition to having the high speed for their notebooks for school lessons.”
On hand for the celebration were prominent dignitaries who have assisted in not only making it possible for Mississippi electric co-ops to provide broadband services, but to help secure funding for the projects, including Rep. Cedric Burnett, who stated, “This is really special for rural residents to have high- speed internet, especially for students since a lot of their classes are virtual learning.”
Rep. Trey Lamar stated, “I want to thank Jessica and her family for allowing us to celebrate the occasion of her becoming the 5,000th high- speed internet customer for Tallahatchie Valley cooperative. This is a milestone accomplishment in our ongoing efforts to serve high-speed internet to all Mississippians and proof that our recent legislative decisions to allow co-ops, such as Tallahatchie Valley, to begin offering high-speed internet has produced a huge win for the citizens of Mississippi.”
“I’m elated to see the benefits of our work at the state legislative level; state government partnering with regional electric power associations like TVEPA can and do make things happen.” said Sen. Robert L. Jackson.
Northern District Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley was present for the historical event, as well. “TVIfiber is changing the future of the rural areas they serve,” Presley said.
TVEPA’s Robison concluded, “I would like to thank all those who believed in the broadband initiative and have worked to make it possible for us to continue to provide quality and reliable electric service as well as high speed internet service, to our members.”
