Valley Electric Association is set to kick off its latest initiative and they want the community members that make up their organization to attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony to commemorate the launch of its optical fiber broadband communications service.
Taking place Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 1:30 p.m. at the Pahrump Community Library, the ribbon cutting will mark the first location in VEA’s service area to receive the broadband service through the co-op’s advanced optical fiber network.
The event will include comments from VEA leaders, Nevada Assemblyman James Oscarson and Pahrump Community Library Director Susan Wonderly, in addition to a special video message from Sen. Harry Reid.
The event will also educate community members about VEA’s efforts to provide high-quality broadband service while constructing Nevada’s first all-fiber community in Pahrump. The first phase of the broadband initiative will include a significant portion of Pahrump, in addition to Fish Lake Valley.
Construction is currently underway for the first phase of the project. VEA connected the Pahrump Community Library to its optical fiber network free of charge and will provide service to the facility at their top speed of 1 gigabit per second. More than 21,000 community members utilize the local library for Internet access each year.
“Community members will now have the opportunity to visit the Pahrump Community Library and experience the speed and quality of VEA’s broadband service,” said Tom Husted, CEO of VEA. “As a member-owned cooperative, we take tremendous pride in building the most advanced communications network in the valley. We are developing this service in an effort to improve the quality of life for community members, while supporting local schools and promoting economic development in our area.”
The event is a major milestone for VEA, as the cooperative expects the new revenue generated from the optical fiber broadband service to promote future rate stability for the cooperative’s member owners. The broadband project was mentioned as one of the factors that made a rate increase that was being discussed for this year to be pushed to at least 2017.
“At VEA, we are committed to developing innovative opportunities that bring value to the communities we serve,” Husted said. “We look forward to providing community members with information about this. Community members can RSVP for the Oct. 14 ribbon-cutting event by contacting VEA Community Relations Representative Cassandra Selbach via email at cselbach@vea.coop.
RIBBON-CUTTING DETAILS
Who: Valley Electric Association, Inc.
What: A ribbon-cutting ceremony to commemorate the launch of VEA’s optical fiber broadband communications service, with the Pahrump Community Library serving as the first facility to receive service.
When: Wednesday, Oct.14, 2015
Where: Pahrump Community Library, 701 East Street
RSVP: To RSVP for the event contact VEA Community Relations Representative Cassandra Selbach via email at cselbach@vea.coop.