Grant Update
6-25-2024
As of the first of June, Pulaski Electric System (PES) has reached the halfway milestone of the Tennessee Emergency Broadband Grant!
We have utilized funding from the Grant, Giles County, and PES to construct over 280 miles of fiber optic internet, achieving 50% of our planned 560-mile project. Observant followers may notice an increase in our total planned mileage. This change results from our collaboration with the State to reassign some areas to the correct provider and our investment of an additional one million PES dollars to build adjacent areas without grant funding. I am proud to announce that we are on schedule and within budget!
Phase One:
Phase one is nearly complete, with only a few installations remaining. For those on the waitlist in Phase One who still lack internet, we have been attempting to reach you. Sixteen of you need to respond so we can provide your high-speed connection.
Phase Two:
Phase Two construction is almost finished, with the mainline 99% complete and home connections well underway. As we complete connections and testing, installations are happening swiftly. If you are among the remaining 200 people on the waitlist, expect your installation within the next eight weeks.
Phase Three:
Phase Three preparation work is nearing completion, with 610 of the planned 654 electrical poles replaced due to excessive wear or clearance issues; the average age of these poles is 41 years. Our “Make Ready” teams are ahead of schedule and will not delay fiber construction, which is 40% complete. We anticipate completing preparation in the next 2-3 weeks and finishing fiber construction ahead of the planned December timeframe. Installations will begin gradually as home connections and testing are finalized, with the goal to complete all installations in Phase Three by January 30, 2025.
Phase Four:
Vegetation clearing for Phase Four was finished in March, and engineering is 90% complete. Preparation work, including pole adjustments and replacements, is ongoing and will continue until November. So far, engineering has identified 729 poles for replacement. Fiber construction is set to begin in November and conclude by mid-April 2025, with installations completed by June 2025.