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The Alabama Fiber Network achieved another milestone with substantial completion of the state-wide middle-mile network. This month, AFN can provide service to 60 counties with 3,406 active miles of the network. Points of presence have been constructed in 62 locations and soon three more counties will be online.
This phase of the network nearly fulfills the $82.5M middle-mile grant from the state’s allocation of ARPA funds. The organization also received two additional grants to support the connection of community anchor institutions, further expanding the depth and breadth of the network. Although AFN does not serve end-users perse, the state-of-the-art network provides access points in each county that community anchor institutions, last-mile and wireless providers utilize for connectivity.
“This is a major accomplishment for our state,” said Terry Metze, CEO of AFN. “Our team has worked tirelessly to not only meet expectations, but to exceed them. We couldn’t be more thankful for the support of the AFN Board of Directors, ADECA, ALDOT, Alabama Power, and all our network partners. Without them, and without the support of local business and government leaders throughout the state, we would not be where we are today.”
The accelerated delivery is bringing access closer to Alabamians, especially in rural, underserved areas of the state. AFN is delivering access to a state-of-the-art network with at least 400 Gigabits of resilient capacity and rapid scalability up to 24 Terabits per second. Access to the AFN network enables local broadband providers with world-class, tier 1 connections for education, public safety, health care and economic development.
In a recent article for the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society, Matt Dunne praised Governor Ivey and the Alabama legislature for their vision. “Alabama has become a national model for state initiative and success in broadband policy and strategy, showcasing the effectiveness of early planning, substantial executive and legislative support, and strategic use of federal funds,” wrote Dunne.
“Alabama’s broadband efforts are receiving well-deserved national attention. We are grateful that the state trusted us to help carry out these plans,” said Metze. “I’ve served in entities like AFN for over 30 years and across several southeastern states. Never have I seen so much support. There’s been such great work done by so many, and there is more to come.”
For more information about the Alabama Fiber Network, please visit www.alabamafibernetwork.com.
