West Kentucky and Tennessee Telecommunications Cooperative (WK&T) has begun laying the framework for a new system-wide fiber network called “Flite” that will deliver significantly faster Internet speeds to community residents and prepare the way for a new generation of communications services.

The funds for WK&T’s $123.8 million investment in fiber come from loans plus grant money awarded last year through the Broadband Initiatives Program of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. These resources will allow WK&T to offer advanced telecommunications services over fiber to 21,000 homes and businesses across the company’s 9-county service area in west Kentucky and northwest Tennessee.

This fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network will deliver higher Internet speeds and enhanced telephone service. In addition, as television and entertainment services become more on-demand in nature, it will future-proof the network to ensure that WK&T can accommodate the bandwidth needs of these services both now and for years to come. Fiber is also less susceptible to outages caused by weather or electromagnetic interference, which can sometimes affect services provided over traditional copper wire.

Craig Hopkins, with WK&T (left) and Justin Sperry, with Engineering Associates, stake the ROW at a railroad track as part of the WK&T fiber-to-the-home project.  (Photo by Shelly Miller)

Construction is beginning in Fancy Farm, Farmington and Puryear, though WK&T has plans to have FTTH services active in all 22 of its exchanges within the next 3 years. To accomplish this aggressive goal, WK&T has contracted with 2 engineering firms that are helping to design the fiber network: Oakhill Consulting of Burnsville, Minnesota, and Engineering Associates of Alpharetta, Georgia. Additionally, to help with the initial fiber buildout and construction, the company has contracted with MasTec Construction for Fancy Farm, McFall Construction for Farmington, and Star Construction for Puryear.

While faster Internet speeds will be the most notable feature for customers on the Flite network, FTTH provides other benefits such as crystal-clear telephone calls and the ability to handle bandwidth intensive services such as high-definition television and home automation features.

Contractors install a handhole in the Fancy Farm, Ky. exchange as WK&T’s Tim Holloway (left), engineering department inspector, and Shayne Terry, outside plant supervisor, inspect their work.  (Photo by Stephen V. Smith -- WordSouth.com)

Construction crews locate lines and bore under a roadway in the Fancy Farm, Ky. portion of the WK&T Telecommunications Cooperative service area.  (Photo by Stephen V. Smith -- WordSouth.com)

As part of WK&T’s FTTH project, crews work in the Farmington, Ky. area to bore under a roadway and install conduit that will soon hold fiber.  (Photo by Stephen V. Smith -- WordSouth.com)

WK&T’s fiber project will span more than 2,000 miles of roadway in Tennessee and Kentucky. Pictured left to right, studying a map of the WK&T service area, are: Tim Merrick, Sam Stitcher, Craig Sullivan, and Bob Werling.  (Photo by Shelly Miller)

In all, WK&T has more than 2,000 miles of roadway to cover with fiber across Kentucky and Tennessee. “It’s a big project,” says Sam Stitcher, WK&T’s engineering department supervisor. “However, the effort will be worth it as residents and businesses within our serving area begin to experience a higher level of service quality over this new state-of-the-art telecommunications network.”

WK&T has selected the Calix B6 Ethernet Service Access Nodes (ESANs) and the 700GE family of optical network terminals (ONTs) for its Fiber Forward initiative across west Kentucky and Tennessee.

Upon completion, this deployment will be one of the nation’s largest Active Ethernet deployments, bringing advanced IPTV services, extremely fast data services, and high-quality voice services to 21,000 homes and 99 critical community institutions such as schools, libraries, and public buildings across a 9-county service area.

The aggregate value of the award makes it one of the largest Last Mile Broadband Stimulus awards, and the largest single award focused on wireline services. WK&T’s award consists of a $62 million grant and a $62 million loan to be used for plant engineering, materials, labor, and other costs, including access equipment.

The leaders of this project are looking at this project as a strategic investment in the future of its communities. It will help stimulate economic development and provide the residents and businesses in WK&T’s service area with the foundation for long-term economic growth. The project is estimated to create 160 new jobs in the region over the next 3 years, and significant anticipated long-term economic stimulus.

This is a transformative project for the region -- allowing economic growth and advanced broadband services to come to areas that were once underserved.

Trevor R. Bonnstetter serves as CEO of West Kentucky & Tennessee Telecommunications Cooperative and Ben Lomand Telephone Cooperative, which provide services to approximately 55,000 customers in both western Kentucky and northwest Tennessee. WK&T and Ben Lomand is a full service telecommunications provider which offers telephone, Internet, IPTV, security systems, and a technology store to its customer base. For more information, visit www.wktelecom.coop.

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