When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the state, Tennessee Broadband Association member companies provided the technology to help residents work from home, study online and stay connected with family. With a phased reopening underway, TNBA Executive Director Levoy Knowles said Tennessee telecommunications companies will continue to be a vital component helping Tennessee rebound.

“As our state’s response to this crisis transitions from mitigation to economic recovery,” says Knowles, “our members stand ready to play a major role. These broadband experts are supporting job growth and economic development through continued expansion of fiber networks throughout Tennessee’s small towns and rural communities.”

The association has created a new page on its website at http://www.tennesseebroadband.com/rebound to highlight these efforts. It has also launched a statewide campaign, centered around #TennesseeRebound, to inform Tennesseans about broadband’s role in the state’s recovery.

The cooperative and independent companies that comprise the TNBA have invested millions of dollars deploying almost 50,000 miles of fiber optic broadband cable across the state — and that figure continues to grow. These providers are projected to have invested $400 million in broadband infrastructure between 2019 and 2022.

The recent health crisis and subsequent shutdown orders have shown that access to a broadband internet connection is essential. Benefits include:

Health care: Broadband over fiber improves access to health care through telemedicine. It also allows physicians to share medical records faster for collaboration and improved care.

Economic development: Access to high-speed, broadband internet is one of the primary factors that drives job growth and business productivity. Broadband connects small and home-based businesses to customers across town and around the world.

Education: Fiber supports education through virtual classrooms and more distance learning opportunities that can bring the classroom into the home.

Small business and telecommuting: As the pandemic has forced many workers to perform their jobs from home, businesses are discovering the advantages of a remote workforce. A broadband connection over fiber supports remote employees of large corporations, as well as small business owners working to remain open and competitive.

“The broadband networks we’ve been building are now more important than ever,” Knowles says. “As our economy recovers, as we guard our health, and as our schools and communities focus on the next phase, we are here to help.”

For more information about the work TNBA members are doing to expand broadband accessibility across rural Tennessee, visit http://www.tennesseebroadband.com.