Ben Lomand Connect’s internet service isn’t just fast. It’s gaining national attention.
Ben Lomand has earned two national certifications for the fiber optic network it is building across Middle Tennessee.
Local and state leaders joined Ben Lomand employees and directors earlier this month for a celebration at the historic Park Theater. The event served as the public announcement that Ben Lomand has received both the Smart Rural Community Award and the Gig-Capable Provider certification from NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association.
“We are honored to receive these prestigious awards,” says Lisa Cope, general manager and
CEO of Ben Lomand Connect. “These national designations represent not only the hard work completed by our employees, but also this cooperative’s commitment to our community. For this region to compete, to grow jobs, and to improve education and health care, a high-speed connection to the internet is absolutely essential. Ben Lomand is proud to be delivering critical broadband service to Middle Tennessee.”
The Smart Rural Community Award recognizes independent telcos such as Ben Lomand Connect that are promoting and using broadband networks to foster innovative economic development, education, healthcare and government services. It also recognizes the communities served by the telcos for their use of this advanced technology.
The Gig-Capable Provider certification recognizes telecommunication providers who deliver the top tier of broadband internet speeds available.
NTCA, which oversees these certification programs, is the premier association representing nearly 900 independent, community-based telecommunications companies that are leading innovation in rural and small-town America. Ben Lomand joins only a handful of cooperatives across the United States to earn both the Smart Rural Community award and the Gig-Capable Provider certification.
Studies have shown areas with access to high-speed broadband experience a higher quality of life in a number of categories — and that is the goal of Ben Lomand Connect’s growing fiber network. Broadband helps generate new jobs, opens new opportunities in the classroom for education, gives medical providers the ability of offering higher quality healthcare, and allows government services to function more efficiently.
Ben Lomand’s fiber network gives the cooperative the ability to offer internet speeds of up to 1
Gbps, or 1,000 Mbps — nearly 1,000 times faster than the average internet speeds across the country.
For example, Ben Lomand members with a 1 Gbps internet connection can download a two-hour, high-definition movie in as little as 25 seconds. Downloading that same movie on a 10
Mbps connection would take about 55 minutes.
Fiber works by sending pulses of light along strands of glass the thickness of a human hair. Beyond its fast internet speeds, fiber also delivers crystal-clear digital TV and phone service.
The cooperative has dedicated resources over the past few years toward building fiber deeper into its service area. Its ever-expanding fiber network currently covers about 40 percent of the Ben Lomand service area, giving local residents speeds that exceed those available in many larger cities such as Nashville.
“We are proud to bring such a high quality network to rural America,” says Chad Dees, operations manager for Ben Lomand Connect. “Our service area covers more than 3,200 square miles, and it’s quite an accomplishment to offer these incredible speeds for our members across Middle Tennessee.”
About the company
Ben Lomand Connect, one of the nation’s largest telecommunications cooperatives, was formed in 1952. The member-owned cooperative employs about 135 people, serving some 28,000 homes and business across 3,200 square miles of Middle Tennessee. This includes Warren, White and Grundy counties, along with portions of Coffee, DeKalb, Marion, Bedford, Franklin, Van Buren and Rutherford counties.
