Nation’s first all-electric, end-to-end solution enables electric utilities to rapidly fund, build and operate multigigabit fiber networks

ADTRAN®, Inc., (NASDAQ:ADTN), the leading provider of fiber access and fiber extension solutions, today announced its partnership with FiberRise and KGPCo to deliver end-to-end, utility-grade broadband solutions and services. This partnership is the first of its kind to offer the expertise, labor, products, automation software, support and supply chain capabilities in one turnkey program. Program participants are guaranteed to receive the support to fund, build and operate new fiber broadband systems in under 10 months. This will enable electric cooperatives, investor-owned utilities (IOUs), public power companies and nationalized entities to increase customer growth and ARPU while lowering churn and operational expenses.

It is a pivotal time for fiber broadband and electric utilities can play an essential role in connecting their communities. The recent passing of the U.S. Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act included a $65 billion broadband package. As electric utilities look to become broadband providers, the partnership between ADTRAN, FiberRise and KGPCo provides dedicated levels of support for broadband and grid modernization efforts, as well as guides them on how to navigate new federal funding opportunities. While ADTRAN is the North American leader in the delivery of multigigabit fiber access solutions, FiberRise pioneered Utility Grade Broadband support, including business model development, feasibility studies, design, construction, installation and network operations. KGPCo offers advanced supply chain and distribution capabilities with a large inventory to expedite the delivery of network solutions.

Prentiss County Electric Power Association (PCEPA) is a utility in Mississippi that was able to complete its broadband build in under a year with the help of ADTRAN, FiberRise and other ecosystem partners. “We were able to build a Gigabit broadband network across all of Prentiss County Electric’s service area and in parts of four adjoining counties,” said Ronny Rowland, GM of PCEPA. “We on-boarded over 5,000 subscribers in one year and fiber broadband is now available to every home and business PCEPA serves.”

“The electric utility has become a major key to solving a societal issue that has lingered for decades: the Digital Divide. This partnership is mission-driven to resolve this issue,” said Craig Stein, VP of Sales at ADTRAN. “Telecommunications and broadband expertise are the domain of ADTRAN, FiberRise and KGPCo, and together we will help these utilities build multigigabit-capable fiber infrastructure to modernize their electric grid communications and ensure broadband equity for their communities for generations.”

“We exist to serve rural communities by exclusively working with electric coops to deliver the expertise needed to lead them into the broadband business,” said Tommy Harmon, CEO at FiberRise. “We are delighted to provide our expertise for in-house funding and design services with ADTRAN’s and KGPCo’s proven and large-scale capabilities to deliver the technical, labor and material needs required by our clients.”

“KGPCo is the industry’s largest U.S. communications product distribution and service solution provider and we take careful consideration to select the right partners to address our customers’ unique needs,” said Peter Wraight, Chief Strategy Officer at KGPCo. “By partnering with ADTRAN and FiberRise, we are certain that our customers will benefit from the unmatched support and differentiated solutions that both of these leading companies offer.”

For more information about ADTRAN’s utility grade broadband solutions and partnerships, please visit adtran.com/utilities.

About FiberRise

FiberRise, LLC enables electric utilities to implement and maintain fiber infrastructure with complete business visibility and simplicity in the delivery of broadband services. FiberRise serves electrical cooperatives and investor-owned utilities throughout the South and has a proven track record of winning state and federal grant awards for its customers, including CAF, CAF II, and Reconnect programs. FiberRise manages fiber projects from inception and construction through operations and maintenance with high-touch service and support.

FiberRise focuses on quality of life by helping to make broadband affordable and accessible to all. For more information, please visit us at www.fiber-rise.com.

About KGPCo

KGPCo is a key strategic partner to the world’s leading communication and technology companies creating the next generation of networks. By uniquely combining Network Services and Supply Chain Solutions to build, optimize, and maintain networks, our team’s unmatched expertise enables our customers to navigate today’s challenges, implement tomorrow’s innovations, and build the future. KGPCo OneTouch™ provides a single source for everything from design and architecture to production and sourcing to installation and support. From ground to cloud, KGPCo is the only company in the industry that offers a complete range of solutions and an integrated approach to build, optimize, and maintain networks. To learn more visit KGPCo.com.

About ADTRAN

ADTRAN, Inc. is a leading global provider of open, disaggregated networking and communications solutions that enable voice, data, video and internet communications across any network infrastructure. From the cloud edge to the subscriber edge, ADTRAN empowers communications service providers around the world to manage and scale services that connect people, places and things. ADTRAN solutions are currently in use by service providers, private enterprises, government organizations and millions of individual users worldwide. Find more at ADTRAN, LinkedIn and Twitter.

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