We are excited about the progress in building the new fiber optic internet system in our territory. As with any new project, some details have been slower than we hoped, but overall, Phase I construction has developed reasonably well.  

After an extremely slow start getting our network connected to our point of presence in Mitchell, the contractors have performed well and the pace of work has increased. Construction of the 130 miles of strand that holds the fiber has been completed. The fiber build is nearing completion with a little over 100 miles constructed. Construction of the mainline fiber is finishing up on the west side of our system, between French Lick and Huron.  

There have been over 600 drops installed so far, with 80 members currently connected and using our service. These members have signed up for packages ranging from our basic 50 mbps speeds up to our 250 mbps package.

Ervin Construction out of Sturgis, Kentucky, has been building our mainline fiber for Phase I. P&C Contracting out of Orleans has been building our drops in Phase I. Phase I will include access for approximately 1,300 homes in total.

Moving forward, Phase II contracts were awarded in May. ElectriCom was selected to execute Phase II mainline, and P&C Contracting will be responsible for Phase II drops. Phase II will include a larger area, providing nearly 2.5 times more members access, with 3,272 drops planned. Work on Phase II began in June and will last approximately 12 months.

If you have questions about your service or want an update on what areas are under construction, just give us a call or go to our Orange County Fiber Facebook page and/or website. We are working hard to keep our progress visible to our members.