Thanks to Wilson (NC), Tiny Rural Pinetops Is A Gigabit City

“We just love it!” That was the response of Pinetops (NC) Acting Town Manager, Brenda Harrell, in response to being asked what it is like for her rural residents to now have access to Gigabit Internet speeds. In April, Wilson (NC)’s community-owned fiber network reached out, passed every home and turned on its fiber to the home service in neighboring rural Pinetops. Pinetops is located about a 20 minute drive due east from Greenlight’s operations center, but more importantly, it is in another county entirely.

Back in February 2015, the Federal Communications Commission preempted a North Carolina state law, known as H129, that prohibited Wilson from serving any residents outside of Wilson County. That preemption was the green light Wilson needed to reach out to its rural neighbors and complete a project that was stopped when H129 became law. Wilson serves six neighboring counties with its municipal electric services, including Pinetops which is located in Edgecombe County.