Across the nation, electric companies are playing a critical role in expanding access to high-speed internet service for millions of Americans. Electric companies long have incorporated telecommunications equipment and fiber technology into their operations to support communications and to provide real-time monitoring and controls for generation and transmission operations. Now, they are leveraging existing and planned fiber optic networks along their rights-of-way to serve as an intermediary between major communications carriers and local internet service providers (ISPs) serving customers. This venture of EEI member companies into middle-mile broadband complements efforts at the state and federal levels to enable Americans who live in mostly rural areas to join the digital economy.
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