United Communications is proud to share updates around its mission to connect Middle Tennessee, Project UNITE. Built to address the crucial need for internet access in rural areas, Project UNITE works to provide connectivity to rural homes and businesses—specifically areas that have been historically overlooked by larger internet service providers.
A long-term mission of United Communication’s President and CEO, William Bradford, connecting rural areas has been the company’s focus from the beginning. However, as the pandemic began, the need for internet access became even more pressing. By leveraging strategic partnerships with communities, business, and government leaders, Project UNITE works to improve quality of life in underserved areas during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
With the help of Middle Tennessee Electric, United Communications is committed to providing Middle Tennessee residents with the connectivity they need for distance learning, telemedicine, remote work, and other pressing needs. “United’s Project UNITE serves as an ongoing commitment to advance internet connectivity to our underserved members—to make life better by delivering needed access to all the resources that high-speed internet provides,” said Chris Jones, President and CEO at Middle Tennessee Electric Membership Corporation.
After being awarded $5.2 million in grants from the Tennessee Emergency Broadband Fund, United Communications kicked off a milestone project—making fiber available to 1,621 homes in portions of Bedford, Rutherford, Marshall, and Williamson counties before the new year. The company invested an additional $1.3 million of its own funding for this fiber buildout as well.
This milestone project is now complete, making way for more progress in 2021. Project UNITE made fiber available to 734 homes in Bedford and Rutherford counties, 640 homes in Marshall County, and 247 homes in Williamson County. Over 600 customers have upgraded to fiber already, and although the deadline for this fiber installation project was December 15th, residents of these areas can still upgrade their service, where available, by contacting United Communications.
President and CEO of United Communications, William Bradford, believes this is just the beginning.
“United is proud of the results of Project UNITE in 2020, and we’ve seen what a difference high-speed internet can make in the quality of life of our Middle Tennessee neighbors. It’s truly a special feeling to know that we are providing them with opportunities for education, jobs, healthcare, and so much more. We will continue to invest in Project UNITE, advancing our mission to improve our area’s broadband structure. I’m proud of our team for having completed this four-county project under very tight timelines, but I know that this is simply one step of many to come,” said Bradford.
United Communications is proud to have built a community initiative that continually works to connect areas with better broadband. With rapid growth of over 15,000 internet customers, United has long been on a mission to connect Middle Tennessee. With Project UNITE accomplishing milestone results in 2020, United is excited about Project UNITE’s focus in 2021.
Since 1947, United Communications has built a reputation on quality communication services in Middle Tennessee and is one of the first companies in this region to introduce a fiber-to-the-home network. With offices in Chapel Hill and Berry Farms in Franklin, United Communications is a locally-operated company offering residential and business services, including internet, phone, and digital TV. Learn more about United Communications and this initiative by visiting www.projectunitetn.net.
About United Communications
United Communications is a leading provider of internet, digital TV, and phone services to enterprise-class businesses and residential customers in Middle Tennessee. United has been recognized as the 2020 Fastest Average Speed provider by BroadbandNow and includes approximately 1,000 route miles of fiber connecting in Nashville, Murfreesboro, and Smyrna and covering portions of Williamson, Davidson, Marshall, Bedford, Franklin, and Rutherford counties. United Communications is a subsidiary of Middle Tennessee Electric Membership Corporation. To learn more, please visit united.net.
About Middle Tennessee Electric Membership Corporation
Founded in 1936, Middle Tennessee Electric Membership Corporation is the largest electric co-op in the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) region and the second largest in the United States, serving more than 600,000 Tennesseans via 305,000+ accounts covering nearly 2,200 square miles in 11 Middle Tennessee counties, primarily Rutherford, Cannon, Williamson, and Wilson. For more information, please visit mtemc.com.
