Though they won t be able to get broadband internet from the Knoxville Utilities Board until 2022 at the earliest, customers are already calling to sign up for the service.
KUB cleared its final regulatory hurdle last week, when the Knoxville City Council voted to approve the utility s proposal to offer 1-gigabyte symmetrical, fiber broadband internet service to its customers. That includes about 210,000 households in mostly Knox, Grainger, Union and Sevier counties.
The broadband service will also include options for cable television and home phone access over the fiber network.
KUB can now begin implementing the broadband network, staffing the new division and procuring supplies.
The grants will expand high-speed Internet service to 17,800 Tennesseans in 15 rural counties. Author: Jessica Brown (WBIR) Updated: 9:03 AM CST March 5, 2021
TENNESSEE, USA Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe announced $14.9 million in broadband accessibility grants will support and expand service to 17,800 Tennesseans in 15 rural counties.
According to a release, this will impact 7,120 homes and businesses in Tennessee.
“Every Tennessean should have access to the same high-speed broadband, no matter what zip code they live in,” said Gov. Lee. “Our continued investment in internet connectivity will help level the playing field for rural communities across our state, and I thank these 13 providers for partnering with us to help nearly 18,000 more Tennesseans get connected.”
Governor Lee, Commissioner Rolfe Announce Nearly $15 Million In Broadband Accessibility Grants chattanoogan.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from chattanoogan.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
A Legacy of the New Deal, Electric Cooperatives Struggle to Democratize and Make a Green Transition
FDR program to electrify rural America is now beset by expensive coal plants and often-hidebound governing boards, as members clamor for transparency and renewables.
President Roosevelt delivers a speech at the dedication of the U.S. Rural Electrification Project. Credit: Getty Images
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What began three years ago as a campaign to stop the spraying of weedkiller under power lines near homes in the Appalachian mountains of northeast Tennessee, has become an example of a more democratic process at electric cooperatives across the country.
Sevier, Cocke counties continue to deal with power outages after Christmas Eve snowstorm
Work to restore electricity continues for those who live in some of the more remote sections of the foothills. Author: WBIR Staff Updated: 3:36 PM CST December 28, 2020
KNOXVILLE, Tennessee
4:30 p.m. Monday UPDATE:
KUB has restored power to nearly all customers minus about 50 individuals spread out across the outer rural areas of Knox County, but larger outages persist in rugged parts of Sevier and Cocke Counties that are impacting thousands.
Sevier County Electric System reported 1,768 customers without power as of 4:15 p.m. Monday as crews continue to work around challenges from wet soil and rugged terrain. Most of the outages were reported across the more remote sections of the foothills outside Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg.