Freedom Fiber celebrates completion of 4,200 miles of fiber installation

As officials from all levels of government gathered Thursday in Hamilton to celebrate Freedom Fiber’s buildout of more than 4,200 miles of fiber ensuring reliable high-speed internet to homes and businesses across eight Alabama counties, there was some perspective offered as to the significance of that number—4,200.

You could drive three and a half days continuously from the coast of Washington state all the way to Florida’s southernmost coast and half the way back before you reached 4,200 miles of travel.

Thanks to a vision from Tombigbee Electric Cooperative’s Board of Directors nine years ago, more than 100,000 rural northwest Alabama residents now have access to fiber internet, something that previously seemed impossible.

While the ‘big boys,’ including AT&T, Spectrum and others, readily built the infrastructure to light up high-population dense communities, these providers never embraced the ‘first mile to last mile’ approach that serves as the foundation for Freedom Fiber, a subsidiary of Tombigbee Electric Cooperative.

There were failed efforts by the Franklin County Broadband Task Force and others to convince these larger providers to expand to rural areas. Eventually, the Franklin County Water Service Authority, through local legislation giving it statutory authority to regulate and pursue broadband grant opportunities, found a company willing to invest in Franklin County. That’s where Freedom Fiber came in. Local, state and federal elected officials worked tirelessly to obtain grants to begin, and complete, the buildout. These include the Franklin County Commission dedicating American Relief Plan grant funds, Rep. Jamie Kiel and Sen. Larry Stutts securing state grant monies and Congressman Robert Aderholt steering federal funds vitals to the project—a true team effort.

In 2018-2019, Freedom Fiber secured federal United States Department of Agriculture ReConnect support that jump started rural fiber construction.

“Standing in that Hamilton warehouse six years ago, I said that broadband is the electricity of the 21st century,” Aderholt said. “Today, we are closer than ever to ensuring that every home, school and business in Alabama has access to that vital lifeline. The progress is real—and the best is yet to come.”

And as we near the end of 2025, more than 96% of Franklin County residents have access to reliable, high-speed internet at their homes and businesses.

Scott Mugno, former board member of the Franklin County Water Service Authority, attended Thursday’s event and reflected on the impact of what Freedom Fiber has meant to Franklin County.

“This was a great celebration! Tombigbee Electric Cooperative and Freedom Fiber have made a permanent positive change in Northwest Alabama—both present day and for our future,” Mugno said. “They should be very proud as should all the community leaders and officials who worked so long for this.”

Freedom Fiber’s 4,200-mile buildout serves seven counties in addition to Franklin County with one gigabit fiber access. Residents in Marion, Lamar, Fayette and portions of Winston, Walker, Cullman and Tuscaloosa counties also had no options for modern connectivity until Freedom Fiber came to their counties.