FIBER IS HERE . . . White River Connect begins installation of high-speed fiber internet at Gainesville homes and businesses
White River Connect photo White River Connect, a subsidiarity of White River Valley Electric Cooperative, has been working in the Gainesville area over the last several weeks to bring fiber internet to residents and businesses. The first Gainesville customer to get internet to their home will be this Thursday, Feb. 13. Above, a White River Connect contractor works to install a Network Interface Device (NID) on the side of a residential dwelling here. The company is committed to offering fiber internet to all WRVEC customers, which includes most of the central and west side of the county. At this time, the service will not extend to the east side of the county, which is serviced through Howell-Oregon Electric Cooperative.
White River Connect photos Local residents may see White River Connect contractors completing other steps of the process to bring fiber internet here. Above, a contractor gets lines ready for in-home installation. The photo below shows the worker installing a fiber mainline.
White River Connect has shared this map of its current service area that is eligible for services in Ozark County.
For years slow internet speeds have been a frustrating reality for Ozark Countians, but that is all about to change for Gainesville residents this week.
High-speed fiber internet is finally making its way to the area through White River Connect, a subsidiarity of White River Valley Electric Cooperative, which services the central and western part of the county.
“The first Gainesville customer to get high-speed internet in their home has their installation scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 13,” Jamie Dopp with WRVEC told the Times.
Dopp said that White River Connect opened sign up in the Gainesville service area, which includes some areas in Pontiac, on Jan. 31. Since that time, the company has received 292 residential orders and 11 orders from businesses, with seven more business orders pending.
The company promises lightning-fast connections, improved reliability and a long-overdue upgrade for homes and businesses alike. As construction begins and installation dates approach at individual locations, locals are eagerly awaiting the benefits that fiber internet will bring—whether for work, school, entertainment or simply staying connected in an increasingly digital world.
Available plans
The company offers various pricing packages for individuals and businesses. For residential homes, the “starter” package is $69.95 per month for 100 Mbps (3-5 devices); the “pro” package is $89.95 per month for 300 Mbps (6-12 devices); and the “ultimate” package is $104.95 per month for 1 Gbps (24-64 devices). All speeds are for both uploads and downloads.
For businesses, the plans start at $129.95 per month for the “business starter” package, which includes speeds of 100 Mbps (up to 24 devices). They also offer a $254.95 per month cost for the “business pro” package with 300 Mbps speeds (up to 64 devices); $354.95 for “business ultimate” at 1 Gbps speed (128 devices) and “business ultimate +” at 2.5 Gbps speed (unlimited devices).
A discount is available for both residential and business packages for enrolling in auto-pay and paperless billing.
Other Ozark County locations offered soon
Dopp says that connection to other Ozark County locations are also in the works. “White River Connect is committed to making sure all White River Valley Electric Cooperative members receive high-speed fiber internet,” she said. “The next Ozark County zone the organization plans to offer fiber internet in will be the Theodosia area. Residents living in that area can expect to see communication from White River Connect within the next 30 to 60 days. Soon after, Wasola will follow sometime late spring or early summer of 2025.”
The project
The Ozark County commissioners provided $200,000 for the project, which was paired other local county contributions totaling $9.3 million. Another $47.3 million for the project was through ARPA grant funding offered by the government in response to the covid pandemic and its effects on the country.
Construction began on White River Connect’s fiber network in June of 2023. In addition to Ozark County, the project will provide internet to rural areas of Christian, Douglas, Stone and Taney County that are serviced by WRVEC. It is expected to take four years to complete the project, which will involve placing over 4,200 miles of fiber.
“White River Connect is on a mission to bring high-speed, reliable internet to the communities who need it most. Gainesville has long been underserved when it comes to internet connectivity,” White River Connect CEO Beau Jackson said. “With White River Connect’s fast and dependable internet, we are creating a path to help our neighbors, businesses and students thrive in a growing digital world. Our team is working diligently to bridge the digital divide to connect our local communities with the opportunities they deserve.”
Residents can visit www.whiteriverconnect.com to view the map of service availability and sign up for service in areas where it is now available. People can also pre-register for areas where service is coming soon.
For more information about White River Valley Electric Cooperative’s fiber-to-the-home project, White River Connect, visit www.whiteriverconnect.com.