DE Fastlink, a subsidiary of Dixie Electric Power Association, linked its 5,000th subscribers, Shannon and Crystal Waite, today with high-speed internet. The DE Fastlink Board of Managers joined leadership, staff, and SDT contract personnel to present the homeowners with a Chromebook and gift basket to celebrate this milestone event.
The Waite family live in Clara and enjoy the quiet country life. “DE Fastlink will help us in so many ways,” said Crystal Waite. “We thank DE Fastlink for bringing high-speed internet to our rural area where no one else would. It will help with schoolwork and entertainment, but most of all it will save us a lot of money. We can’t say thank you enough.”
More than 3,000 miles of fiber optic cable are required to provide high-speed internet service to the entire service area, with 2,467 miles complete. So far, the project has passed 15,463 homes with a 39% take rate. Although this is the 5,000th subscriber connected, almost 1,000 people in eligible areas are still waiting for service in the queue.
“It’s been exciting to watch this process unfold from the beginning until now,” said DE Fastlink board member Alicia Walker. “This is a momentous occasion to have reached this many people so quickly. I’m glad we can provide this service for our community.”
“The best part of my job is hearing testimonials from subscribers of how this service is changing their lives for the better,” said Communication Assistant Amanda Mills. “It’s so much more than just providing a service; we are improving their quality of life.”
An interactive service map is available at defastlink.net to check individual addresses for availability. The project is expected to be completed sometime in 2023.