EPB Fiber Optics keeps growing. And thanks to funds that come to the electric system from our fiber customers, our service was able to avoid a rate hike for electric power in 2014.
EPB Fiber Optics keeps growing. And thanks to funds that come to the electric system from our fiber customers, our service was able to avoid a rate hike for electric power in 2014.
Maybe it’s our reputation for smart, friendly, and responsive customer service. Maybe it’s the fact that Chattanoogans like supporting local companies, keeping jobs and dollars in town rather than farming them out to Philadelphia or New York. Surely, it’s also the incredible speeds and clarity that are only available from EPB Fiber Optics.
Whatever the combination of reasons, our EPB Fiber Optics customer base gets bigger every year. This year, we signed up our 58,000th customer, plus 5,200 business customers. As this number grows, so do our offerings – faster speed, more options, more channels.
On the commercial side, one of our biggest growth drivers continues to be Hosted PBX, which allows small and mid-sized businesses to have an affordable yet sophisticated telephone system. Calls can be transferred to home, a hotel, a cell phone, or a conference line, while remaining connected to the same office telephone number.
Not only is Chattanooga attracting new businesses in response to the incredible opportunities that our fiber network makes possible, but every dollar that goes to an EPB Fiber Optics bill helps hold down the costs of electric power.
In fiscal year 2013-2014, EPB Fiber Optics paid nearly $24 million for access to the electric system’s fiber network and shared services such as administration, legal, marketing, and human resources.
When revenue from the sales of communication services are added to reductions in outage duration and improved operational efficiencies, it is estimated that EPB Fiber Optics brings a payback of more than $83 million, every year. More than $50 million of that number is a direct benefit to businesses in our community – reducing outages means reducing downtime for businesses - whether that’s manufacturers having to shut down operations, restaurants losing a valuable shift, or retailers whose cash registers can’t ring.
The overall financial benefit that our fiber brought to our electric system in 2013-2014 meant that – despite the rising cost of, and demand for, energy – we were able to avoid a 4-5% rate hike. Making power more accessible for everyone who lives in our community.