Delta-Montrose Electric Association (DMEA) to Build Fiber Network

MONTROSE, CO — The Delta-Montrose Electric Association (DMEA) board of directors voted unanimously to proceed with a fiber-to-the-premise (FTTP) business to bring reliable broadband Internet service to the citizens and businesses in Montrose and Delta counties. The DMEA board approved a phased deployment, which will begin with an initial pilot phase. Work on the development of the pilot phase begins immediately. This first phase is an important milestone for the cooperative, and will be used to prove the business model and test assumptions, such as take-rate.

“We have an obligation to protect the financial and operational integrity of the cooperative for our members. Using a phased approach will allow us to minimize our risk by only building each phase once we have met specific take-rates,” said DMEA CEO Jasen Bronec.

After hearing of requests by local citizens to find a solution for the poor Internet service in the area, DMEA’s board of directors began researching options. Recognizing that reliable high-speed Internet service is now paramount to advancing economic development and quality of life, just as electricity was in the 1930s, the cooperative has been conducting in-depth research on broadband business models and case studies since late 2014. “Because we were already deploying fiber-optic infrastructure for internal purposes, it made sense for us to explore the opportunity of expanding broadband services to our membership,” said DMEA President Bill Patterson.