EMPOWER Broadband Bringing High-Speed Internet to Three Communities

MECKLENBURG – EMPOWER Broadband’s high-speed expansion to Bracey’s Americamps, River Ridge and Tanglewood (ARRT) locations took a massive leap forward as company officials announced that delayed equipment is finally enroute. The scheduling of in-home installations is set to begin on April 4 and will continue into June … until services to all existing applicants are installed. EMPOWER Broadband, Inc. (EMPOWER) is a subsidiary of Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative.

The recent acquisition of CWA Cable assets serving the ARRT project area has allowed EMPOWER to advance high-speed broadband and digital phone service, through the conversion of the existing coaxial cable system, to create a fiber-fed broadband network to these communities. The culmination of months of hard work is now paying off, as needed components are arriving daily.

In the past week, EMPOWER technicians have already installed the system’s Cable Modem Termination System headend unit at the company’s Bracey headquarters. The next steps require interconnecting this equipment to the Cloud, using the existing broadband network and phone soft switch. EMPOWER has enlisted the expertise of Advanced Media Technologies (AMT) to deploy this new system and in the coming months, AMT will lead the charge in field construction and in-home installations.

“The advantage of this project lies in the utilization of advanced electronics to convert the existing analog cable system to a state-of-the-art digital broadband network utilizing DOCSIS technology,” says John C. Lee, Jr., EMPOWER’s CEO. “Statistics and capabilities demonstrate coaxial cable is a solid delivery system for high-speed connectivity … and will dramatically improve the delivery times available to nearly 2,000 accounts in these three communities. Our Members there have waited patiently, and we are looking forward to being in a position to offer them world class broadband service that is unaffected by weather or terrain and offers subscribers highly reliable, high-speed broadband service. This robust internet access will also capably support streaming video, providing a less costly television option to replace the current cable television offerings that will no longer be available as of April 30.”

The fiber network will extend into each of the neighborhoods at multiple NODE locations and will then extend from the NODE to connected homes via a coaxial cable service drop, creating a robust connection, which will support the highest of speeds to homes and businesses along the route. In its March report, the Leichtman Research Group indicated top cable companies had utilized this technology to provide high-speed internet to nearly 70% of US broadband subscribers at the end of 2021.

Currently, there are over 400 applications in the ARRT project area queue awaiting service. EMPOWER’s staff highly encourages residents who have not yet submitted their application to do so immediately while the team is in the final stages of construction and installation planning. Residents who submit applications during this critical startup period will receive service faster than those who delay their submissions. Additionally, installation fees will apply to accounts requesting service once construction is underway, and after AMT’s construction team wraps up the project.

Residents can apply by clicking “Check Availability” at www.EMPOWERMEC.net and carefully following the steps as directed.