The Alabama Fiber Network (AFN) has hired broadband industry veteran Terry Metze as its first chief executive officer.

“I am thrilled to join the Alabama Fiber Network and play a role in connecting Alabama to the future,” he said.

AFN, a coalition of eight electric co-ops and key partners throughout the state, provides critical middle-mile connectivity to last-mile providers and community anchor institutions in the state of Alabama.

“Initial phases of the network will be open for service late this summer,” Metze said. “A major focus of my role will be to oversee the successful build out of the later phases and establishing relationships with last-mile wired and wireless broadband service providers, ensuring that Alabamians have the access needed to advance healthcare, education and economic development.”

Metze brings extensive broadband industry experience, including a 25-year track record building and operating middle-mile networks from concept to successful launch and long-term operation in South Carolina. He also more than doubled revenue for a long-haul fiber optic network in Tennessee.

“We are excited about Mr. Metze’s hiring and welcome his vision for AFN,” said Tom Stackhouse, AFN board chairman and Central Alabama Electric Cooperative president and CEO. “His unique Southeastern broadband network knowledge and expertise will prove invaluable to the dynamic and robust infrastructure AFN is delivering to the state of Alabama.”

In addition to hiring staff, Metze will put his skills to work to develop and build customer relationships between providers and community anchor institutions.

AFN has more than $200 million in U.S. Department of Treasury grant funds from the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs and the Alabama Digital Expansion Authority. AFN is crucial in Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey‘s and the Alabama Legislature’s statewide Be Linked Alabama plan to provide affordable, reliable access to all.

Thanks to the vision and investment of state leadership and the partnership of AFN owners, the network will be completed much quicker than a typical build for a network of this size and scale.

At full buildout the Alabama Fiber Network will be a 5,000-mile, multiterabit, middle-mile network, and one of the most comprehensive state-based middle-mile networks in the United States.

AFN is made up of eight electric cooperatives and their subsidiaries: Central Alabama Electric Cooperative, Coosa Valley Electric Cooperative, Covington Electric Cooperative, Cooperative Connection LLC (a subsidiary of Cullman Electric Cooperative), JWEMC Communications LLC (a subsidiary of Joe Wheeler Electric Membership Cooperative), North Alabama Electric Cooperative, Tombigbee Electric Cooperative and PowerSouth Energy Cooperative. They collaborated with fiber lease partner Alabama Power to address the lack of middle-mile connectivity in rural Alabama.