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The Alabama Fiber Network (AFN), a coalition of eight electric cooperatives and key partners throughout the state, is pleased to announce the hiring of Terry Metze as its Chief Executive Officer. AFN provides critical middle-mile connectivity to last-mile providers and community anchor institutions in the state of Alabama.
“We are excited about Mr. Metze’s hiring and welcome his vision for AFN,” said AFN Board Chairman and Central Alabama Electric Cooperative President & CEO, Tom Stackhouse. “His unique knowledge and expertise in southeastern broadband networks will prove invaluable to the dynamic and robust infrastructure AFN is delivering to the state of Alabama.”
Terry Metze
Metze has extensive leadership experience in the broadband industry, including a 25-year track record of building and operating middle-mile networks from concept to successful launch and long-term operation in South Carolina. He also more than doubled revenues for a long-haul fiber optic network in Tennessee. His background in hiring staff, developing and growing customer relationships among last-mile and wireless broadband service providers and community anchor institutions, and growing revenue for novel telecom organizations was critical in AFN’s decision to ask Metze to lead the network.
“I am thrilled to join the Alabama Fiber Network and play a role in connecting Alabama to the future,” said Metze. “Initial phases of the network will be open for service late this summer. A major focus of my role will be to oversee the successful buildout of the later phases and establish relationships with last-mile wired and wireless broadband service providers, ensuring that Alabamians have the access needed to advance healthcare, education, and economic development.”
“Building out Alabama’s broadband infrastructure is a top priority of the Energy Institute of Alabama, and with Mr. Metze at the helm, Alabama Fiber Network’s ambitious efforts to expand middle-mile connectivity will be in good hands,” said Hardwich. “The state of Alabama is achieving outstanding success in increasing access to high-speed internet through the Be Linked Alabama initiative, and Alabama Fiber Network is playing a key role in supporting it from the private sector to accomplish Governor Ivey’s goal of high-speed internet access for all.”
AFN has received over $200 million in U.S. Department of Treasury grant funds from the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs and the Alabama Digital Expansion Authority. AFN is crucial in Gov. Ivey and the Alabama Legislature’s statewide BeLinked plan to provide affordable, reliable access to all. Thanks to the vision and investment of state leadership and the partnership of AFN owners, the network will be completed much quicker than a typical build for a network of this size and scale. At full buildout, the Alabama Fiber Network will be a 5,000-mile, multi-terabit middle-mile network, and one of the most comprehensive state-based middle-mile networks in the United States.
