Broadband Pioneer Shares Insights on Expanding to MDUs in Rural Areas

The coop has served more than 5,000 multiple dwelling units in Rural America.

Connecting multi-dwelling units to broadband in rural areas need not be an oxymoron, said Darren Farnan, chief operating officer of United Fiber, in a Friday afternoon discussion on coops and America’s broadband buildout.

United Fiber has successfully connected more than 34,000 subscribers in rural Missouri, far exceeding the electric cooperative’s original 7,500-member base.

“It’s just been about fulfilling needs,” Farnan said in the event in the broadband community, noting that his coop’s board was open to pursuing opportunities outside their service territory to meet the growing demand for broadband.

During the discussion, “Hidden Truths About BEAD Every Co-op Should Know with REC Broadband Pioneer Darren Farnan,” he highlighted United Fiber’s success in connecting multi-dwelling units in rural areas. The coop has served more than 5,000 MDU units by employing a combination of direct fiber and other technologies.

In cases where running fiber is not feasible, United Fiber has utilized existing copper wiring, such as CAT3 or CAT5, to deliver gigabit speeds. “We’ve utilized existing copper, and we’ve learned a lot,” Farnan said in the question and answer session with Ready CEO Jase Wilson.

“It’s not easy off the start, but now that we’ve gotten further into it, we’re really getting better and hitting our pace there,” Farnan explained.

Farnan also emphasized the importance of partnerships and the need for automated compliance processes to navigate the complexities of federal grant programs like the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act from 2009 and the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program, the key part of the broadband components of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Looking ahead, Farnan expressed interest in leveraging the BEAD program to expand United Fiber’s network beyond its current footprint. With nearly all of United Fiber’s existing members already served, the company is exploring opportunities to partner with other cooperatives and providers to extend their reach.

“We’re looking at other opportunities, and I know our state challenge process just opened up. So we’re going through that process right now,” Farnan said.

See the full piece from Broadband Breakfast here.