FBA Recognizes Tombigbee Communications on Gimme Fiber Day

The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) has announced that it awarded its Dr. Charles Kao Award to Tombigbee Communications, during Gimme Fiber Day festivities on November 4th.

This annual award recognizes individuals, organizations and companies that leverage innovation to connect communities with fiber optic technology. The FBA selected Tombigbee as this year’s award winner for its accomplishments in bringing fiber broadband to unserved regions in Northwest Alabama.

Each year, the FBA presents the Dr. Charles Kao Award in conjunction with Gimme Fiber Day—an international day on November 4th to celebrate the inventor of fiber optics. The Gimme Fiber Day concept was initiated in 2013 by the FTTH Council Global Alliance (FCGA) to bring recognition to the social and economic benefits of FTTH. Tombigbee Communications was announced as FBA’s 2021 Dr. Charles Kao Award winner during a twitter chat FBA hosted to honor Gimme Fiber Day.

Steve Foshee, CEO at Tombigbee Communications, leads a powerful initiative to deliver broadband to rural Alabama, enabling communities there to grow and prosper. As the state’s first broadband partnership between an investor-owned utility and an electric cooperative, Tombigbee Communications teamed up with Alabama Power to use existing infrastructure to offer high-speed broadband services. Tombigbee Communications will lease available capacity on fiber infrastructure, used by Alabama Power on its electric grid for reliable and resilient service, as additional support for its backbone network to reach and connect its customers.

“Steve Foshee is a pioneer in rural electric coop broadband. Under his leadership, Tombigbee is building a fiber broadband network to every home and business that desires to have it in the six counties they serve,” said Gary Bolton, President and CEO at the Fiber Broadband Association (FBA). “Congratulations to Steve and Tombigbee Communications on the positive impact that they are making in rural America. It is commitment like theirs that enable the delivery of unlimited capacity that will unleash limitless possibilities for communities everywhere.”

The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) is part of the Fibre Council Global Alliance, which is a platform of six global FTTH Councils in the Americas, LATAM, Europe, MENA, and APAC.