Announcing the launch of PowerStream Fiber

By
Posted on Feb 03 2025 in Decatur County REMC
PowerStream Fiber announcement

Brett Abplanalp
BRETT ABPLANALP CEO

Jan. 17 was a significant day for Decatur County REMC, as we officially announced the launch of our fiber business, PowerStream Fiber.

This has been an incredible journey, one that wouldn’t have been possible without the support of our partner, SEI Communications, our amazing community, and our dedicated fiber team: Sam Ruf, Crystal Greathouse, and Matthew Raver.

Our strategic partnership with SEI Communications marked the beginning of our efforts to bridge the broadband gap in underserved areas. SEI Communications, a fellow member-owned cooperative, shares our dedication to providing affordable, high-quality services to members. Leveraging their expertise in telecommunications in tandem with our commitment to enhancing connectivity in our rural areas is what made this a significant achievement. We are working together to empower our community to thrive in the digital age, driving economic development forward, and are both excited about the collaborative opportunities that lie ahead.

We would like to thank Decatur County again. Their generous support in providing us with a $500,000 grant from their ARPA funds was instrumental in helping us successfully apply for the Broadband Next Level Connections Grant, through which we were awarded $4.98 million to bring service to 578 addresses. This award officially launched our fiber project and has positioned us well for future expansion.

Reflecting on how Decatur County REMC brought power to our rural communities 87 years ago, it’s only fitting that we bring fiber in the same way. To give our community the power to stream through fast, reliable internet, with local roots and global reach is what PowerStream Fiber is about. 

In our first phase, PowerStream Fiber will make 1,419 total passes, 641 in Decatur County and 778 in Ripley County. 

PowerStream Fiber logo

While we don’t yet have a definite timeline for when sign-ups will begin, we are proud to share that this first phase will be completed by September 2026. We are currently finalizing dates, and once confirmed, we will share the information on our website, through bill inserts, in our monthly magazine, and on Facebook.

The remaining underserved areas within Decatur County REMC’s territory will be addressed through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) grant. The BEAD application opened on Dec. 30 and is scheduled to close on Feb. 12. We are actively working on our submission. With Indiana receiving $868 million through the BEAD program, we are committed to securing the funding needed to connect the remaining underserved areas.

PowerStream Fiber will provide transparent, competitive pricing with no hidden fees or long-term contracts. Customers can expect straightforward plans that deliver exactly what they need with no surprises — just reliable internet service at a fair price. While our packages are not yet finalized, we anticipate offering options such as 100 x 100 Mbps, 500 x 500 Mbps, and 1 Gbps x 1 Gbps plans. Once finalized, all plan details will be shared on our website.

We are incredibly excited about PowerStream Fiber’s future and its positive impact on our community — local money, staying local. 

Thank you once again for sharing this journey with us. We look forward to keeping you updated as we progress with our fiber project and all that’s to come. Together, we’re making a connected future a reality!