Fiber internet is coming to parts of Oktibbeha County

OKTIBBEHA COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI)- The internet has become a vital part of our everyday lives. It’s used for work, social media, or streaming that T.V. Show you’ve been wanting to binge.

In more rural areas, internet can be slow to non-existent. That could soon change in Oktibbeha County.

In 2017 District 4 supervisor Bricklee Miller had a dream of bringing her district and others in Oktibbeha County into the 21st century.

She started doing everything she could to bring fiber internet into the county.

Now that persistence is paying off.

“The residents are very excited and have been looking for this process for a long time and as grateful as I am that it’s fixing to occur,” said Miller.

Crews are out prepping for fiber to be run underground.

In the past, that meant digging ditches across the yards of homeowners.

But even that job has been modernized.

“We use a process that leaves a minimum footprint behind. We’re using directional boards, we are also using a Hydro Vac machine which is a machine that will instead of physically digging a hole it uses water and air so therefore you can create a hole and then you can turn around and dump the dirt right back into the hole when you’re done,” said J. B. Freeman.

Miller says this project hasn’t been easy.

“I just assumed that I could take the map and I could say hey guys we have 500 homes in a 3 mile radius will you please come, but we had to get franchise agreements then they had to get permits and C-Spire had to decide that was actually a good place for them to come,” said Miller.

When the fiber is up, and running customers will see a difference.

“Fiber and internet service is the backbone and the future of us it actually is needed for education, not just social purposes but work purposes. Economic development tool. Each one of these homes that now has fiber access will be able to use all of their smart appliances at the same time, and the value of their homes increase as well, so it is a win-win for the community to have this fast service,” said Miller.

If the weather is on their side, J.B. Freeman says the fiber could be fully installed within five weeks.