INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana’s rural electric cooperatives are working to expand broadband access across the state while maintaining their core responsibility: delivering safe, reliable, and affordable electricity.
As broadband providers seek to extend their services by attaching to electric utility poles, cooperatives must carefully manage pole attachments to preserve the integrity of the electric grid. Each attachment requires a formal approval process, including safety analyses and inspections, to ensure that electrical service remains undisturbed and the environment around poles is not compromised.
Electric co-ops face challenges balancing these requests with limited staffing and resources. Unauthorized attachments by broadband providers can pose risks to both infrastructure and worker safety. Officials emphasize that all installations must follow established safety procedures and co-op oversight standards.
Indiana’s electric cooperatives continue to invest in broadband partnerships to improve connectivity in underserved areas. However, they stress that expansion must align with safety standards, proper compensation, and consistent engineering oversight to ensure long-term service reliability.
For more information on how Indiana’s electric cooperatives are supporting broadband growth, visit action.indianaec.org.
Article credit to Orange County’s REMC’s Indiana Connection (October 2025).
