In 2020 TRC joined the project with Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative (MEC), and MEC’s wholly owned subsidiary, EMPOWER Broadband, to design customer house drop connections, a link connecting fiber lines to the existing Fiber to the Home (FTTH) backbone network. Through strong culture, quality work and a collaborative approach, TRC quickly built a trusted relationship with MEC and EMPOWER, which led to expanded responsibilities including backbone design, post-construction inspections and easement support. Although TRC joined after the first project initiative, the team successfully scaled operations to meet project requirements and leveraged its experience, adaptability and commitment to quality to help achieve a successful FTTH project. Our work with MEC and EMPOWER continues with additional initiatives, providing FTTH through grant projects in other areas of southern Virginia.
Challenge
Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative is a member-owned electric cooperative based in Chase City, Virginia. MEC serves more than 31,000 accounts across nine counties in southern Virginia and five counties in northern North Carolina, operating within a predominantly rural service territory. The cooperative is committed to delivering environmentally responsible and reliable electrical service to its member-owners.
EMPOWER provides last-mile capacity, retail high-speed internet service, as well as voice over IP telephone and high-speed data services for over 10,000 accounts in the cooperative’s service area.
With the goal of providing high-speed broadband internet to its local communities, EMPOWER identified several operational challenges where improved processes and additional support could enhance project execution and overall efficiency related to its FTTH initiative:
- With many project components contracted externally, EMPOWER required additional resources and field support, which led them to contract with TRC for hands-on assistance with defined route house drop connections, as well as expanded support for fiber design, easement acquisition and post-construction inspections.
- Because projects funded under MEC’s initiative have been extremely large, significant design and construction work required an aggressive timeline for all three organizations. Failure to meet the resulting deadlines would have jeopardized critical grant funding, requiring TRC to significantly scale operations and work extended hours to ensure timely project completion.
MEC also faced challenges identifying engineering firms with the capacity and expertise to support the project. MEC expanded its relationship with TRC to provide the engineering and operational support necessary to successfully advance the initiative.
Related Services
Solution
To address these challenges, TRC played a key role in supporting MEC and EMPOWER through backbone and house drop communication design, parcel research, door-to-door marketing and post-construction inspections. These efforts helped ensure the successful execution of the project and supported EMPOWER in expanding its customer base.
“We needed a contractor who could meet aggressive deadlines with no sacrifice in quality. TRC brought the personnel, refined the process, and delivered the commitment to help us design defined fiber routes, protect member private underground facilities, and ultimately ensure we retained every dollar of grant funding through timely project completion.”
– Casey Logan President and CEO for MEC and EMPOWER Broadband
- Post-Construction Inspections: We supported all facility aspects of the project by reviewing final construction and verifying that construction was completed according to specifications.
- Door-to-Door Marketing: We conducted front-end outreach efforts through direct door-to-door engagement to help generate customer interest and secure future service connections.
- Backbone Design: Our team initially assisted MEC with existing backbone designs and gradually expanded its involvement to include longer backbone routes, contributing to the continued growth and advancement of the overall project.
- Easements: We first supported the use of existing overhead easements before transitioning into direct easement acquisition in 2024, including the formation of a dedicated notary team.
- House Drop Communication Design and Parcel Research: TRC assisted MEC with both overhead and underground house drop communication designs, which included pole attachments and roadway installations. The team also conducted parcel research to identify right-of-way requirements and ensure engineering pathways were properly protected through state permitting or easement acquisition.
- Working Under Tight Deadlines: To meet aggressive project deadlines, TRC prioritized rapid operational growth, team commitment, extended work hours and frequent travel. At peak activity, the team expanded to approximately 50 personnel working simultaneously to support project demands.
Results
Throughout the FTTH Project, TRC successfully met deadlines, enabling the project to maintain steady progress. Over the past six years, TRC has supported EMPOWER’s additional growth, reaching 10,000 customers, secured over 4,000 easements and contributed to over 1,000 projects. The operation’s success continues today with growing numbers every year.
House Drops: From 2020–2026, TRC supported the design of 674 miles of fiber infrastructure and coordinated potential customer connections for 8,525 house drops.
Backbone: On the backbone side of the project, TRC assisted with the development of 1,081 miles of backbone infrastructure across 1,369 projects.
Easements: TRC successfully acquired a total of 4,129 easements.
The combined efforts of TRC, MEC and EMPOWER played critical roles in the successful advancement of the FTTH initiative across rural Virginia communities. By helping meet critical funding deadlines, expand infrastructure and connect thousands of customers, TRC contributed to the delivery of reliable broadband access and long-term infrastructure improvements throughout the region.