The Utility:
18 months ahead of schedule
20% reduction in cost
$32M in funding
Southwest Tennessee Electric Membership Corporation (STEMC) serves 45,000 consumer-members across 11 counties. Its 52,000 meters cover urban and rural communities alike, ranging from 30 meters per mile in populated areas down to just five meters per mile in sparse regions and farmlands.
The Need:
When the state of Tennessee authorized electric cooperatives to serve broadband in 2017, STEMC took notice. Providing FTTH would be a win-win for the utility’s members and the electrical grid: its underserved communities would gain access to high-speed internet and accompanying online services, and STEMC would improve its outage restoration and storm response. Best of all, subscriber revenues and grant funding ensured the project would pay for itself.
The Solution:
After an initial feasibility study and a year of research, STEMC sought a second feasibility study—and broadband partner—to move forward in 2019.
"We needed a partner to kick things off, one that valued technology and forward-thinking as much as we do," said Billy Gordon, Vice President of Technical Operations at STEMC. "After a year of communication with different consultants, we saw the greatest value in Irby Utilities' data-driven deployment."
STEMC selected Irby Utilities for the project. Shortly after, Irby developed a five-year plan for STEMC’s ISP and independent partner, Aeneas Internet and Telephone. The project included a paperless construction management approach, a strategy that would become crucial in future grant applications.
The Challenges and Surprises:
Aeneas and STEMC hung their first fiber cable in March 2020—right as a global pandemic shut the world down. Along with it, though, came new opportunities: as work and school shifted behind computer screens, the amplified cries of unconnected Americans prompted the creation of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Using Irby's digital construction processes, STEMC had total visibility of its network deployment costs and ample information to place competitive bids. A real-time geospatial map detailed the materials, crew, and capital required for every part of the build, past or future. With this data, STEMC bid for two locations in its service territory and won both.
There was one problem, though: these grant-eligible areas were 65 miles away from STEMC's current broadband construction, approximately four years out in the original plan. Now, the team had to reach the unconnected pockets in under twelve weeks for reimbursement. The clock was ticking, and accurate data was more important than ever.
"When I talked with the construction crews, they said it would be nearly impossible under normal circumstances," Gordon said. "But using Irby's construction management, materials, and logistics, it was absolutely doable."
Within two weeks of the bid announcement, Irby and STEMC shifted the entire contractor force to two new service areas, and crews began construction with minimal prep work. STEMC completed fiber placement, splicing, and testing within ten weeks (2-weeks ahead of schedule) and submitted for reimbursement a month later.
The Result:
Leveraging Irby’s detailed construction management, STEMC quickly built out the parts of the network that they passed on the way to grant-eligible areas. The cooperative now sits 18 months ahead of schedule on its 5-year project with a 20% reduction in planned costs.
Between the state of Tennessee, ARPA, RDOF, and the CARES Act, STEMC has received $32M in broadband funding, largely due to detailed records and data collected throughout its project.
"When performing desktop progress reviews with grant administrators, we could pull up the map and say, 'Where do you want to go? Throw out an address,' and we could show timestamped pictures to prove where and how we spent the funds," said Gordon. "You only get that granularity with an automated process like Irby’s, and it's put us in a great position when applying for competitive grants."
About Irby Utilities:
Irby partners with electric municipals and cooperatives to deploy and maintain fiber broadband projects. Irby offers a full suite of solutions, including grant support, feasibility studies, material procurement and management, engineering and network design, subscriber management, and a local, fully operational call center. Irby has secured over $175M in funding for clients through its unique processes, bidding strategies, language, and data.