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Fiber Internet Timeline
Payne Rock the Block
September 13 – We joined the Payne Rock the Block celebration! Our team had a fiber information tent set up with details about our service coming to Payne, and we also walked in the parade with the community!
First Home Staked
September 5 – We began staking our first homes for internet service! At the same time, our team continued testing and refining processes to ensure everything is ready to service our members when installations begin.
Park Fest Parade
Our team joined the Glandorf Park Fest Parade, handing out flyers with details about new fiber internet service and answering members' questions.
Fiber booth debut at local fairs.
We shared fiber internet information with the community at the Defiance County Fair and the Van Wert County Fair. These events gave members and the community the chance to stop by, ask questions, and learn more about our fiber internet.
New Network Engineer Hired
We welcomed Dustin Wehri to the team as our Network Engineer. With over 15 years of IT experience, he will be working on our fiber network to help connect members across the service area.
Partnership with the Village of Payne
We announced a partnership with the Village of Payne to bring free public Wi-Fi to community spaces, including:
- Payne Fire Department
- Village Offices
- Water Works
- Community Park
- Buckeye Park
Internet service will also be available to all homes and businesses in Payne in the fall of 2025 — even if you’re not an electric member!
First Broadband Technician
Our first Broadband Technician, Nick “Eddy” Edwards, joined the team. Eddy recently completed 5 years of service in the Marines and is eager to grow his career in the broadband industry. He’ll be completing installations at members’ homes and helping get internet service connected.
The first Node Cabinet Set
The first Node Cabinet at the Latty Substation was placed. This was a big milestone in building and connecting our network!
Paulding Putnam unveils new brand identity and fiber internet plans at Member Appreciation Day
Paulding Putnam Electric Cooperative unveiled its bold new brand at its Member Appreciation Day on July 12, 2025, celebrating 90 years of service and embracing a connected future. With over 1,200 members and guests in attendance, the co-op introduced a simplified name — “Paulding Putnam” — and a new logo symbolizing both its electric roots and future in fiber internet. The tagline, “A Legacy of Power. A Future of Connection.”, reflects this dual focus. CEO Randy Price and Marketing Manager Samantha Kuhn emphasized the cooperative’s commitment to uniting essential services under one trusted name. In addition, Paulding Putnam announced new lifestyle-based fiber internet plans tailored to members’ needs, with service rolling out soon across parts of Paulding and Putnam counties.
Broadband Services Coordinator Hired
We welcomed our Broadband Services Coordinator, Luke Burkhart to the team. Luke brings over 30 years of experience in internet and communications — and he’s a Paulding Putnam electric member! He will be supporting daily broadband operations like scheduling installs, managing business accounts, and coordinating with vendors and field technicians.
Fiber splicing underway Construction, website updates
Contractor crews are hard at work splicing fiber on parts of our newly constructed lines as part of Paulding Putnam’s fiber-optic internet service. Splicing fiber involves carefully connecting individual strands of fiber optic cable to create a seamless, continuous network capable of transmitting data at the speed of light.
This process requires precision and skill, as each fiber strand is thinner than a human hair. Once complete, the fiber ring will serve as the backbone of our high-speed broadband network, bringing fast, reliable internet to members across our service territory and helping bridge the digital divide in our rural communities.
As of late June, contractors had installed over 160 miles of line. Work has begun on node cabinets that will be installed at substations and other strategic locations.
Paulding County Construction Continues
Our fiber internet contractor, ITG Communications, works in the area to build PPEC’s high-speed fiber network. You may see them alongside the road, within our right-of-way areas. Construction activities will also consist of digging, trenching, and boring to install the fiber. Industry best practices will be followed to minimize disruptions.
We appreciate your patience and understanding as this vital work continues to bring reliable fiber internet to our community!
As of late May, contractors have installed over 50 miles of line in the Paulding and Latty areas. Work will continue through Paulding County and move into Putnam County by late summer.
Construction Begins, State Rep. Support, Contractor Meetings
The construction phase of the high-speed, reliable fiber internet project begins. This transformative step will bridge the digital divide for members and businesses across Northwest Ohio and Northeast Indiana. By fall 2025, the first customer should have fiber internet service.
PPEC staff and contractors also held a meeting April 14 to discuss project expectations. State Representative Roy Klopfenstein attended to express his support.
Pictured below, PPEC contractor ITG Communications hangs fiber mainline in the Latty substation area – specifically in Haviland. Construction will continue in the Roselm substation area by July 2025.
This marks a historic milestone as the co-op expands its mission from delivering reliable electric service to providing fast, affordable, dependable internet.
BEAD funding application, material suppliers selected
PPEC has applied for B.E.A.D. funding in Indiana to support broadband expansion. Engineering efforts are progressing, with Osmose conducting an electric system audit, which will assist us in preparing our existing poles for fiber installation. NRTC continues with network design and field audits. We also have selected material suppliers for all of the fiber equipment, as well as Wi-Fi gateway access equipment for service delivery and fiber material manufacturers. The first build sequence is being designed.
A contractor has been chosen for the overhead and underground fiber construction as well as the splicing needs.
Meanwhile, the Marketing and Communications Team is actively working to develop marketing strategies for the fiber rollout. The new brand launch is planned to be revealed at the Member Appreciation Day on July 12, 2025.
PPEC continues making significant progress in expanding broadband services, and we’re excited for the future!
November 2024
PPEC continued to expand its team, projects, and initiatives as we work to build a stronger broadband network for our members with the hiring of a Broadband OSP Manager.
PPEC has secured letters of support from community leaders for B.E.A.D. applications to strengthen our case for funding.
Engineering efforts are progressing with the creation of a Bill of Materials (BOM) that has been assembled and will soon be sent out for Request for quote(RFQ) to multiple vendors and material suppliers.
The Marketing and Communications Team has been collaborating with a vendor to research, conduct a survey, and help plan the marketing of a fiber internet service rollout. This will include an email survey for members and phone surveys for non-members, as well as a brand architecture phase.
Exciting progress is underway as we work to bring fast, reliable internet to our members!
Board votes to provide new service
On July 18, 2024, the Paulding Putnam Electric Cooperative Board of Trustees unanimously voted to provide fiber internet as a new service offered by the co-op. This decision came after conducting several feasibility studies earlier this year. The board’s goal is to provide high-speed, reliable internet to the co-op’s electric membership via fiber-to-the-home.
“Our goal will be to build and operate this new business just as we’ve operated the electric side: with our members and community first in mind,” said PPEC President and CEO Randy Price. “We will combine and leverage the electric plant’s benefits and infrastructure we’ve built over the last 89 years with the data transmitted through fiber to better serve you, our members, and future generations.”
Why is the co-op undertaking this effort?
In November 1935, PPEC — a not-for-profit cooperative — was created by its members to provide life-changing electricity to their farms and homes. Back then, the co-op powered rural areas where other big companies said it wasn’t profitable; PPEC met a need when no one else would.
Today, the problem is modern connectivity: work, video streaming, gaming, home devices, and nearly every aspect of life in this digital age requires quality internet. Data shows that nearly 70% of PPEC's membership (especially those in rural areas) is unserved or underserved when it comes to high-speed, reliable internet. This should not be a luxury only available to those in cities.
Just as we did in the 1930s, we strive to improve our members’ quality of life by providing a crucial service. We see the need and are stepping up to fill it.
“As a utility, we experience daily frustrations due to a lack of connectivity,” said Price. “Without reliable and affordable broadband, everyone’s quality of life is impacted.”
“Concern for Community” is one of our Seven Cooperative Principles and the lifeblood behind this decision. Providing high-speed, reliable fiber internet will support economic development efforts locally, lead to higher rates of new business formation, allow for improved remote healthcare, and increase job opportunities for area residents, especially for increasingly popular remote work. When the community prospers, the co-op wins.
Who will the new service be available to?
Residential and commercial members who are currently unserved or underserved, and who express interest will be the priority for connection. PPEC has nearly 14,000 members across seven counties in NW Ohio and NE Indiana — and growing. Our progress will be determined by the amount of member interest in an area.
Non-member communities in need outside of the PPEC territory may be added if the co-op determines it is financially feasible.
What is fiber internet?
Fiber is considered the “gold standard” of broadband connections. The term fiber-optic internet, or just “fiber,” refers to bringing internet service to your home or business with ultra-thin strands of glass fibers bundled inside an insulated casing. The fibers transmit data using light pulses instead of electric currents. Unlike the copper wire of phone or cable connections, or the wireless signals of satellite connections, the data transmitted over fiber-optic cables is coming to you at the speed of light! PPEC plans to provide speeds of up to 1 gigabit.
When will this happen?
Planning, design, and engineering will take place over the next year. By fall 2025, the first member should have internet service from PPEC. We aim to complete our member system by 2028. If PPEC serves non-member communities, the build may take as long as five years (2030). Other unforeseen factors may impact these plans, but the co-op will keep the public informed throughout the process via our website, magazines, email newsletters, and social media.
If I don’t get service, how will this impact me?
The internet and electric sides of the business will remain separate. Electric members will not see their rates increase due to the fiber internet efforts.
However, all members will see the benefit of connecting our substations using fiber technology. This will allow PPEC to detect and restore power outages more quickly and provide more accurate data to the membership with improved communication between equipment. All members will benefit from a smarter, stronger, more connected electric grid.
What’s next?
We hope you are as excited as we are! Watch our fiber updates webpage for more information coming soon. Pre-registration will be available this fall.
Those with questions can call the co-op at 800-686-2357 or email fiber@ppec.coop.
“The Paulding Putnam Electric Board of Trustees and staff are driven daily to be member—and community–focused,” Price said. We are visionary and use every experience to learn, improve what we do for you, and invest in your future. We look forward to serving you in this new capacity.”
Fiber Updates by the numbers
0
Homes Installed
70
Percent of member homes without reliable internet