Sprout Fiber Internet is proud to be the first internet service provider connected to the new, statewide Alabama Fiber Network. The milestone was celebrated in July with a launch event in Cullman attended by Gov. Kay Ivey.
The AFN network will serve as an internet superhighway, connecting local fiber-to-the-home internet service providers — like Sprout Fiber Internet — to primary data centers. A direct connection to the internet source means home and business consumers will receive faster, more reliable internet service from their local ISP.
The AFN is a public/private sector coalition started in 2022 to serve as the middle-mile infrastructure to link their local networks to large telecommunication carriers and the internet. Cullman Electric Cooperative is one of eight Alabama electric cooperatives among the founding partners.
“At Cullman Electric Cooperative, as we started building Sprout Fiber Internet, we assumed there would be plenty of connectivity,” said Cullman Electric CEO Tim Culpepper. “We soon realized that was not the case. In talking with our friends at other electric co-ops across the state that we also getting into the fiber internet business, we realized it was an issue for everyone. Those conversations are what eventually led to creating the Alabama Fiber Network.”
The network will ultimately stretch 5,000 miles across the state’s 67 counties, and is predicted to generate more than 4,100 new jobs with a total economic impact of $657 million.
“Increasing access throughout Alabama will enhance innovation and create new opportunities for education, health care, economic development and more,” said Terry Metze Jr., AFN CEO.
Gov. Ivey noted that when she took office in 2017, Alabama was the 47th-ranked state in the country for access to broadband internet. Today, Alabama ranks 24th.
“Achieving full connectivity is a marathon, not a sprint,” Ivey said. “But we are well on our way. It’s days like today where we can see our progress.”