Rural communities often have difficulty accessing the same services as suburban and urban communities. Accessibility to broadband services and clean drinking water are among the greatest concerns for these areas. To combat the issue of access, Illinois nonprofit and water utility EJ Water Cooperative joined Illinois Fiber Connect for a first-of-its-kind initiative that runs fiber alongside water pipelines in the same trench. This reduces costs for telecom installation by two-thirds and the syncing of these utilities allows for smart meters to provide live data. Not only does this project improve efficiency, increase knowledge of system conditions, and provide access to reliable Internet and drinking water to areas in need, but it also saves residents money.
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Photo Credit: Illinois Fiber Connect.
