press releases
Pineland to Expand Service to All of Emanuel County
More than a decade ago, Pineland Telephone made the decision to expand its service to the city of Swainsboro, forming an entirely new company in order to bring reliable communication services to citizens and businesses at the Crossroads of the Great South. Since that time, Pineland Communications, Inc. has constructed fiber-to-the-premise connections in six additional areas, now providing phone and internet service to commercial customers in Claxton, Vidalia/Lyons, Louisville, Wrens, Sandersville, and Americus.
In the past twelve years, the need for broadband in the rural areas of Emanuel County grew exponentially with the incumbent provider(s) not offering service to meet the minimum Federal Communications Commission (FCC) standard. An estimated 1,000 locations remain underserved with many simply having no option for broadband apart from unreliable and expensive satellite providers. When Covid-19 arrived in 2020 and everyone from order entry personnel to elementary students were sent home, the need for dependable and affordable broadband for all was made even more apparent.
https://pineland.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Emanuel-Map-1-.jpgAlthough Pineland and Emanuel County’s efforts at obtaining funding assistance through the recent Georgia Broadband Grant awards were unsuccessful, Pineland has made the decision due to its success in the recent Rural Digital Opportunity Fund auction to move forward with fiber-to-the-premise construction in all the remaining underserved areas of Emanuel County including the Dellwood, Modoc, Canoochee, Summertown, Blundale, and Blun. Once complete the county will be able to market itself as 100% gigabit enabled. The construction process has already begun in some areas and citizens will soon see actual trenching and fiber placement. The estimated timeline to complete the entire project is eighteen months. By the end of 2023, 100% of Emanuel County residences and businesses will have access to broadband with gigabit speeds available.
“We are extremely excited to be in a position to make this announcement for the people of Emanuel County,” said Dustin Durden, Chief Executive Officer of Pineland. “We hear all too often from folks in these areas about the lack of service in which they can currently access. We were founded in 1951 in Emanuel County, and we are anxious to bring top notch service to all of its citizens.”
Emanuel Map-1 highlights the remaining underserved areas of the county, and online pre-registration for these areas is open today at www.pineland.net; enter your information below Are You Ready to Connect? and click go. Registration does not obligate service but allows Pineland to determine which area(s) have the most interest and provides contact information for notification as construction completion nears. Anyone wishing to learn more may contact a Pineland Customer Experience Associate during regular business hours at (912) 685-2121.
#BuildingBetterBroadband
Pineland Telephone serves over 1,300 square miles in all or parts of ten-counties and seventeen exchanges in South Georgia, bringing Telephone, Internet, Technology, and Security solutions to its customers. In its 70th year, 100% of Pineland’s customers receive their services via a dedicated Fiber-to-the-Home network capable of delivering broadband speeds up to 1 Gigabit per second. Pineland’s mission is to offer an outstanding customer experience through the efficient delivery of progressive technology solutions in the markets served. We will achieve this mission by applying our Core Values of Excellence, Integrity, Innovation, and a Servant’s Heart in everything we do.