Network upgrades planned in Mississippi

Construction expected to be done in 2018 in Myrtle, Miss.

Construction is under way to expand and improve broadband to nearly 500 locations in Myrtle, Miss. TDS Telecom (TDS^®) began work in May of this year and construction is expected to be complete in 2018.

“We are proud to be part of this massive modernization project with the FCC,” said Jim Meade, manager – State Government Affairs at TDS. “We are pleased to have started work to build faster connections in northern Mississippi.”

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) allocated $2.4 million each year to reach residents in some of the hardest to serve areas in Mississippi. The funding will also be used to maintain a voice and broadband network as well as building out to these locations. The FCC’s Alternative Connect America Cost Model (A-CAM) is providing funding to upgrade service in Myrtle, with hundreds of additional nearby customers in Union County expected to receive benefits from the network upgrade.

Mississippi residents can visit the TDS website to find out how this federal program may impact their location.

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 FCC, the remaining customers will receive broadband service at lower speeds of 10/1 and 4/1Mbps.

In January, TDS announced it elected to receive approximately $75.1 million a year to increase broadband access in 25 states from the FCC’s A-CAM, under the Connect America Fund (CAF) program. TDS will leverage the funds over the next 10 years to support the buildout of rural broadband networks to nearly 160,000 locations across the country. 

TDS has been doing business in Mississippi since 1976 and owns three telephone companies in the state. TDS employs nearly 10 people in Mississippi.