Cincinnati Bell, Butler Rural Electric Co-op Deal Signals Growing Interest for Telco Electric Partnerships

A Cincinnati Bell, Butler Rural Electric Cooperative partnership will expand fiber broadband to parts of rural Ohio. The deal highlights the potential growing interest in telco electric partnerships for rural broadband. The Cincinnati Bell, Butler Rural Electric partnership will initially bring Cincy Bell’s Fioptics fiber broadband service to approximately 2,000 Butler Electric members, beginning in late 2020. The offering will include 1 Gig service, home phone, whole-home Wi-Fi, and internet security. A video option will also be available, through Cincy Bell’s partnership with YouTubeTV. The 2,000 homes passed construction is considered phase 1 of the partnership, with Cincy Bell and Butler evaluating potential expansion to Butler’s 3,000 customers who aren’t included in this initial phase. BREC serves members in portions of Butler, Hamilton, Preble, and Montgomery counties in Ohio.