Progress So Far

8/17/2020 Update

Well, it looks like EMEPA is going to beat me to it. They recently announced the timeline for deployment of their own fiber optic network in the Quitman area, and it is scheduled to be complete by 2022 for our neck of the woods. I would probably be able to get something up and running around the end of this year, but that would only give me a year or so to provide service before EMEPA's service became available. The speeds and prices that they would be able to offer are a good bit better than I would be able to compete with, I'm afraid. I can no longer justify sinking even more of my own money into the project when there is no chance of making back even a small fraction of the cost.

That being the case, it looks like I'm putting the project on indefinite hold. I'm a little disappointed that my plans won't be able to become a reality. The amount of time and money I have spent so far that is now pretty much wasted makes me nauseated. However, I'm glad someone is going to finally step up and meet the need. I hope EMEPA is able to pull it off, and I'll be keeping an eye on the progress. If their efforts happen to stall before they get Elwood hooked up, I'll be ready to pick up where I left off. There's also the possibility that they won't be willing to offer service to MS Power customers, which could be another opportunity for me to step in. In the meantime, I encourage everyone to go to EMEPA's website and pre-register (https://www.eastmsconnect.com/pre-registration/). There's a good chance that they use the number of households pre-registered in an area to determine where to focus their new construction first. 2022 seems like an eternity away, but I think it will be worth the wait. I'm also keeping an eye on Starlink (https://www.starlink.com/), which is a new satellite internet network. It will work much, much better than existing satellite providers since they are in an orbit much closer to Earth. Starlink might be available in our area sooner than 2022, so that might be a good way to fill the gap until EMEPA can get fiber to us.

Thanks to everyone who has supported my efforts so far. It's been a fun (but expensive) learning experience. Now I just need to find something to do with 4 miles of fiber optic cable.

5/13/2020 Update

The wet winter, increased traffic due to the bridge work on Highway 512, and now the coronavirus have hampered progress quite a bit more than I had hoped. However, the first test run of fiber optic cable has been successful. So far, everything has worked better than expected.

Last week, the county board of supervisors granted permission for me to start laying fiber down County Road 130 that will eventually get connected to C Spire's network in Quitman. I've also applied for 811 membership so I can get the information I need to avoid hitting any water or phone lines along the way.

That will be the next big step moving forward. We'll see how quickly I can get that accomplished. Hopefully the weather will cooperate. After that, I'll have to get the last stretch of fiber across the Chickasawhay River, which I'm sure will be a challenge. However, I'm determined to get this done because I don't see any viable alternatives in the near future. Wish me luck!

8/11/2019 Update

I believe all the pieces are in place for the project to move forward. The next step is to perform a small-scale deployment so that I can put the theory into practice to make sure things work the way I planned. I've done lots of research, but I'm sure there will be plenty more to learn as I go.

The first roll of fiber optic cable has arrived along with some tools and equipment. My first 2 test splices were a success!

Not bad for a first attempt from an amateur who learned by watching YouTube videos...if I do say so myself.

Next up will be testing much longer runs and learning how to get the cable into the ground and strung up on poles. As long as I don't hit any unforeseen snags, my hope is to have something up and running by the end of the year. After that, I'll expand outward as quickly as finances will allow. Keep spreading the word...the more people we have on board, the more quickly this can become a reality. Share the Facebook page, and encourage your neighbors to fill out the survey.

6/21/2019 Update

The project is slowly gaining momentum. I have tentative approval from the county to run fiber optic cable along the county road right-of-way, arrangements for a location for C Spire's handoff in Quitman, and all the necessary material lists and suppliers. All I need now is subscribers to help pay for it. I haven't had any new signups on the interest survey since the last update, so that's a bit disappointing. I'm hoping that once people see work being done, they'll jump on board. Please help to spread the word to your neighbors. I have the first phase pretty much laid out, but where I go from there depends on where the customers are. If you can help get the people in your area signed up, your road will be more likely to be next in line to get hooked up. Go fill out the survey form if you haven't already, or just post on the Facebook page saying that you're interested.

1/4/2019 Update

I've been busy gathering material lists and prices for everything that will be needed to get started with the project. I knew it was going to cost a lot, but wow...it's a lot. I still think I can make it work, but we need more people to commit to the service before I can feel confident that the project can succeed. If we can get 30 people willing to pay $70 per month for service, it will take about 6 years to recover the cost, which I think is reasonable. So far, there are 10 "yes" and 6 "maybe" responses to the survey. If you know of someone who might be interested but they don't want to fill out the form, leave a comment on the Facebook page so I can count them in. Please help to spread the word so that we can make this project a reality.

8/31/2018 Update

Based on the responses to the survey so far, I have a pretty good idea of where I want to start. The map below shows the number of responses per road segment as of 8/31. We're about halfway to the 30 or so households we need to make the project feasible. Be sure to share the survey with anyone you know along these roads who may be interested.