Case Study: Northcentral Electric

About Northcentral Electric Cooperative

Northcentral Electric Cooperative is a member-owned organization dedicated to providing reliable electricity and energy services, guided by the core principles of cooperation and a strong commitment to its community. Upholding values such as safety, integrity, and accountability, Northcentral operates democratically, ensuring that every member has an equal voice in the cooperative’s decisions through a one-member, one-vote system. This approach fosters a deep sense of ownership among members, who actively contribute to shaping the cooperative’s policies and future direction.

With a mission to be the leading provider of innovative solutions, Northcentral is continually focused on service excellence and community investment. The cooperative emphasizes education, training, and cooperation, empowering its members, representatives, and employees to contribute effectively to the cooperative’s growth. By collaborating with other cooperatives and prioritizing sustainable development, Northcentral Electric Cooperative remains committed to enhancing the quality of life for its members and the broader community it serves in Olive Branch, Mississippi, and beyond.

The Challenges of Building a Fiber Network

Northcentral Electric Cooperative, through its new high-speed internet affiliate Northcentral Connect, faced significant challenges in bringing fiber connectivity to the rural areas it serves. The cooperative’s mission to provide innovative and reliable solutions to its members required the development of a robust fiber network across multiple counties, including eastern DeSoto, western Marshall, and parts of Tate and Lafayette counties. Given the vast and varied terrain, the installation of a fiber network posed logistical challenges, particularly in ensuring that the network would be reliable, secure, and capable of delivering the high speeds necessary for modern needs like online education, healthcare, and home automation.

Additionally, the cooperative needed to address the complexities of managing a large-scale infrastructure project. This included coordinating labor forces, handling materials efficiently, and navigating regulatory requirements, such as securing permits for rail crossings and other infrastructure-related challenges. These obstacles, coupled with the need to maintain high standards of safety and quality, made the project both ambitious and critical for the future connectivity of Northcentral’s members.

The Solution

National OnDemand played a vital role in addressing the challenges faced by Northcentral Electric Cooperative in their fiber network build-out. With a skilled and responsive workforce, National ensured that both overhead and underground work met Northcentral’s rigorous standards for safety, timeliness, and quality. Their crews expertly handled the complexities of the project, from mainline construction through to the final phases of splicing and drop installations, ensuring the project stayed on schedule and met the cooperative’s high expectations.

In addition to their skilled labor, National’s effective management of both labor and materials was key to the project’s success. Their successful completion of three permitted rail crossings, a critical aspect of the fiber infrastructure, showcased their ability to navigate regulatory challenges while keeping the project moving forward. Moreover, National’s leadership and the seamless workflow they established enabled the project to progress smoothly, surpassing Northcentral’s experiences with previous projects.