RISON - Rally Networks, the parent company of Cleveland County Telephone, announced this week that the company will soon begin construction to extend its fiber optic internet network beyond its current service areas in Kingsland and Rison.Rally Networks was awarded more than $35 million in federal grants and loans in December 2024 to extend its existing fiber optic internet within Cleveland County. The company currently provides fiber optic services to customers within the city limits of Kingsland and Rison.Ken Gross, customer relations manager for Rally Networks, said construction on this new project is scheduled to begin Monday, Jan. 15. He said this new network will provide up to 8 gigabytes of symmetrical internet speed to residential and business customers. Once installed, Gross said service and support will be handled by local technicians and support staff.“Our goal is to begin activating customers and providing live internet service by June, with construction continuing through the year,” Gross stated in an email to the Herald, noting that the project is expected to be fully completed by the end of the year.“All fiber in this project will be buried, which is important for long-term reliability,” he said. “Buried fiber is better protected from weather, vehicle damage, and outages, resulting in a more stable network and fewer service interruptions over time.”According to a map provided by Rally, the company intends to extend its fiber optic network from its existing infrastructure in Kingsland and Rison.Plans around Rison, according to the map, is to extend the service along Hwy. 35 north and south of Rison as well as along Hwy. 114 west of Toledo to the Rose Hill community. That service will be extended along most of the county roads that intersect those state highways. That includes the southern half of Moore’s Church Road, Unionville Road north of Rison and Mt. Elba Road south of Rison.In the ...
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