Construction is moving forward to expand and improve broadband to nearly 160,000 customers. Construction under the Alternative Connect America Cost Model (A-CAM) project will start in each of the 25 states this year.
Depending on location, most TDS customers in eligible rural areas will receive guaranteed broadband speeds of 25Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload (25/3). Under the agreement with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the remaining customers will receive broadband service at lower speeds of 10/1 and 4/1Mbps. The majority of these customers live in rural, wooded and hilly areas, which are the most difficult communities to serve.
A few of the construction projects began in November, 2016, while most were started at the end of February and March of this year. Construction will be completed on some of the projects listed below by the end of this year, while the majority should be completed by summer 2018.
Phase one of the A-CAM project includes areas/communities in the telephone companies in these states. The number of locations is determined by the FCC.
Alabama: Oakman Telephone Company = 1,689 locations
Arizona: Southwestern Telephone = 1,206 locations
California: Winterhaven and Happy Valley telephone companies = 2,294 locations
Colorado: Delta County Telephone Communications = 2,901 locations
Florida: Quincy Telephone = 1,638 locations
Indiana: Communication Corp of Indiana (Whitestown) = 3,680 locations
Kentucky: Salem and Leslie County telephone companies = 4,606 locations
Maine: Hampden Telephone Company = 127 locations
Michigan: Island Telephone Company/St. James = 671 locations
Minnesota: Arvig Telephone Company = 5,347 locations
New York: Deposit, Edwards, Port Byron, Township telephone companies = 8,481 locations
Ohio: Little Miami Communications Corp. and Continental Telephone = 1,025 locations
Oklahoma: Mid-America Telephone = 1,246 locations
Pennsylvania: Mahanoy & Mahantango Telephone = 1,446 locations
South Carolina: Norway Telephone = 897 locations
Tennessee: Ten Tel Waynesboro, Parsons and Tellico telephone companies = 16,147 locations
Vermont: Northfield Telephone = 638 locations
Virginia: New Castle Telephone Exchange = 1,267 locations
Washington: Lewis River and McDaniel telephone companies = 3,071 locations
Wisconsin: Town of Berry, Waunakee, Black Earth, Scandinavia Telephone, Mt. Vernon = 4,657 locations and 166 Wisconsin grant locations
In January, it was announced that TDS was allocated funding from the FCC’s A-CAM program.
To find out how this federal program will affect your area, TDS customers can visit the TDS website.
