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By Carey Reeder | Managing Editor

Chris Montgomery, Vice President of Central Access, gave an update on the expansion of internet coverage in the City of Clanton at its council meeting on July 18. Joined by Connie Bainbridge, Manager of Community and Economic Development for Central Alabama Electric Cooperative, the two updated Clanton Mayor Jeff Mims and the city council on the ongoing construction within the city limits, and when businesses and residents could expect internet connectivity to be available and ready for them.

CAEC was awarded seven broadband grants through the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) Capital Projects Fund totaling $22.9 million to increase the spread of high-speed internet in Chilton County in April. The expansion covers areas that are outside of the cooperative’s current service footprint and into areas where Alabama Power customers are. It is expected that 6,400 homes and businesses will gain high-speed internet service after the expansion is complete. The expansion is also bringing the best connectivity for residents with fiber to the premises connection, meaning residents will have fiber internet connected directly into their homes or businesses.

Montgomery spoke about Grant Area 6, which covers the downtown portion of Clanton on the east side of Highway 31 and stretches eastward across Interstate 65. The underground engineering for the downtown area has been completed and all cables for the fiber connectivity are installed. The aerial engineering portion of the project is pending and waiting on other clearances, such as the Joint Use Agreement between Central Access and Alabama Power to place their fiber on the Alabama Power poles. This agreement revealed some poles that need to be replaced before the aerial engineering portion can be completed in downtown.

The Alabama Department of Transportation approval was granted on the south side of Clanton to begin construction along Highway 31, and that will begin within the next two to three weeks, according to Montgomery. The north side of Clanton along Highway 31 is still waiting for approval for construction to begin. Due to Highway 31 being a state road, ALDOT is required to read over everything thoroughly to ensure the projects are within the guidelines.

Once construction is complete in all of these areas, it will allow installations for the new fiber internet to begin in the first part of 2025.

“In doing all of this, it will allow us to be ready in the first quarter of 2025 to start doing installations within this area, and that will be both residential and commercial,” Montgomery said during the council meeting.

Outside of the downtown area, there has been construction ongoing on the east side of Interstate 65 in Clanton. That area was a previous grant area, so construction could begin there sooner than other areas, and it will be wrapping up very soon. After its conclusion, residents in Clanton on the east side of Interstate 65 will be ready for installations to begin. Construction in the area of Highway 145 coming back into Clanton is awaiting approval from ALDOT to begin as well.

For more information on installation timeframes, when residents could expect fiber connectivity to be available in their area and to sign up for fiber broadband services, visit the Central Access website at www.centralaccess.com.