Archives: Spotlights

Pineland Telephone Cooperative and Pineland Communications proudly serve communities across thirteen counties in South Georgia with Phone, Internet, and Technology services spanning more than 2,000 square miles. Now in our 74th year, we are proud to provide 100% Fiber-to-the-Home connectivity to all Phone and Internet customers, delivering gigabit-enabled broadband designed to support the people, businesses, schools, and communities we call home. Guided by our Core Values of Excellence, Integrity, Innovation, and a Servant’s Heart, we are committed to creating meaningful connections through both technology and service.

At Pineland, community involvement is just as important as the services we provide. This year, we are especially proud to sponsor two local students for the Foundation for Rural Service (FRS) Youth Tour in Washington, D.C., an educational leadership experience that brings together students from rural communities across the country. We are also honored to recognize two FRS Scholarship recipients, reflecting our continued commitment to supporting education, leadership, and opportunity for the next generation in rural Georgia. As a cooperative, we value the relationships we build with our members, employees, and industry partners, and we look forward to strengthening those connections through the Fiber Network Alliance. Visit us at Pineland.

Southern Telecom Inc.: Building a connectivity backbone across the Southeast

From long-haul dark fiber to lit services, STI connects critical operations for large enterprise customers

Southern Telecom Inc. (STI), a fully owned subsidiary of Southern Company, plays a key role in keeping the Southeast connected. The company provides both long-haul and metropolitan dark and lit fiber networking solutions that support the infrastructure needs of large enterprises, hyperscalers, and various commercial businesses.

Connectivity solutions built for enterprise and mission-critical needs
STI’s connectivity solutions can be customized for enterprise and mission-critical needs. Solutions can include both company-owned and external fiber partnerships that can expand based on individual customer needs. Any dark fiber path can be equipped to provide SouthernWavesTM multi-gigabit internet lit wave services which is specifically designed for large enterprises and data center tenants requiring reliable, state-of-the-art connectivity. STI’s fiber routes can also support metering connectivity (AMI).

Powering what’s next: our growth and the infrastructure behind the network
Established in 1997 to lease available Georgia Power Company fiber capacity, STI has steadily expanded its footprint and offerings which today include major fiber routes across Alabama and Georgia with dark fiber and lit services from Atlanta to Jacksonville, a downtown Atlanta fiber ring, and joint ventures with major telecommunications companies across the Southeast.
Beyond dark fiber, STI supports the infrastructure that keeps networks running—from rights-of-way access and conduit, to colocation, maintenance, and energy services. For its long-haul routes and metro rings, STI can provide HVAC, power, and custom energy solutions for optronics at hubs, ILAs, and POPs. You can learn more about Southern Telecom at southern-telecom.com.

Columbia County Community Broadband Utility (C3BU) is proud to share that our family has grown. We welcomed Emmett Masterson on February 11th, weighing 8 pounds and measuring 21 inches long. Moments like this remind us that as our team and their families grow, so do we as an organization and as a community. Since 2019, C3BU has expanded from 175 miles of fiber optic infrastructure to more than 403 miles today, and we’ve grown from seven to eight communication towers, strengthening the backbone that supports our county. We now directly serve all County schools, County government buildings, traffic signals, water and sewer systems, and critical public safety operations including 911, law enforcement, fire services, and emergency management. Beyond our public sector mission, C3BU partners with seven service providers to support commercial and residential connectivity across our region. Our growth reflects the dedication of our team, the trust of our community, and the shared belief that strong broadband infrastructure strengthens every family, every classroom, and every business we serve; C3BU is shaping our community to create tomorrow’s opportunities today! Visit us at www.c3bu.net.

ETC is a 123-year-old facility-based telecommunications service provider, Headquartered in Ellijay, Georgia, and operating in seven Counties (Cherokee, Pickens, Dawson, Lumpkin, Gilmer, Fannin and Murray) in North Georgia and Polk County in Tennessee.

ETC’s primary distribution networks are Fiber, HFC and Copper.

ETC’s fiber presence at 56 Marietta in Atlanta has made us a primary service provider for both long-haul and short-haul circuits originating from and/or passing through Atlanta, as well as into the North Georgia and East Tennessee Mountains. ETC has connectivity with partners in our COLO space(s), which allows our long-haul customers to connect with other fiber networks that will carry circuits far beyond ETC’s footprint.
ETC is well-versed in developing and maintaining partnerships that are beneficial for both entities. ETC works with several connecting service providers to provide connectivity routes and solutions to help our partners serve their customers with end-to-end solutions. Visit us at etcnow.com.

Bulloch Solutions, formerly known as Bulloch Telephone Cooperative, is rooted in a proud hometown legacy that began in 1951, when the company was founded to bring reliable telephone service to rural Bulloch County and surrounding communities. What started as a local effort to connect neighbors has grown steadily over the decades into a forward-thinking communications provider, expanding from traditional voice services into advanced broadband, IT, and technology solutions. Today, Bulloch Solutions delivers cutting-edge connectivity while staying true to its cooperative roots—member owned, community focused, and always invested in the people we serve.

Our mission is to provide quality intercommunication connectivity for our customers through innovation, advanced broadband technology, and community service, and our vision is to enhance the quality of life for our members and the communities we serve. Guided by values of being community-driven, acting with integrity, staying dependable, being proactive, and working together as a team, we proudly offer some of the world’s fastest internet, including blazing-fast multi-gig speeds up to 8 gigs. As the hometown internet company, we combine innovative approaches with neighborly service—because we believe technology should feel powerful, personal, and dependable. And yes, our internet is so fast it might load this sentence before you finish reading it. Visit us at Bulloch.Solutions.

CNSNext is a high-speed internet and telecommunications service provider located in Southwest Georgia serving the cities of Cairo, Camilla, Moultrie, Thomasville and other surrounding communities. Established in 1999, CNSNext became a leading service provider in the area to meet all the connection needs of the communities whether big or small. The customer first attitude that CNSNext has is the driving force that keeps the experienced team pushing to meet the communities growing needs. Offering services for business and residential customers alike with 24/7/365 monitoring. Services CNSNext offers are:
• Residential high-speed internet up to 1Gbps
• Business high-speed internet up to 1Gbps
• Voice
• Next Stream streaming service
• Advertising Services
• Dedicated Telecommunications Solutions

In 2024, a new customer service center opened to improve the customer experience and handle everything CNSNext customers need. At CNSNext, we strive to leave no customer disconnected and continue to push into the future keeping the customer first! Visit us at CNSNext.com.