For more about IEC's commitment to fiber, read the May 2026 edition of the Lamp, our monthly newsletter that is inserted in more than 14,000 issues of Oklahoma Living magazine and delivered to IEC members.
NEWS RELEASE: JUNE 2023
In a move to narrow the gap when it comes to broadband access in rural Oklahoma, Indian Electric Cooperative announced fiber cooperative effort with industry giant Cox Communications in 2023.
The innovative approach will accelerate broadband access to unserved and underserved areas of rural Oklahoma, IEC says.
The IEC Board of Directors and Cox Communications executives approved the terms in June 2023.
“Cox is committed to the communities it serves, has local presence, and it is a leader in broadband,” IEC Chief Executive Officer Todd Schroeder said. “While we felt confident in IEC’s ability to provide its own service, it makes a lot more sense to combine the strengths of the co-op in building infrastructure, and the strengths of Cox in providing broadband service to the home. This type of cooperative effort may be unprecedented, but it is the best decision for our membership.”
The agreement means the IEC-built fiber infrastructure, the poles and fiber, remain a co-op asset, which Cox Communications will lease and provide broadband service to IEC members. Co-op leaders explored several other local opportunities, but ultimately chose to enter an agreement with Cox.
Reminiscent of how the cooperative began with providing electricity to rural farmers in 1939, it is once again necessity that drives the mission.
“It is similar, just a more modern approach,” Schroeder said. “This move will change the lives of people who have been, simply because of their zip code, shut out for decades when it comes to technology advancements. They now will have a bridge to options.”
In 2021, IEC announced its priority in building a fiber pilot project in the small town of Fairfax, which is underserved. Construction is in progress there. Since a tornado ripped through the small town in 2018, IEC has provided free Wi-Fi along the main business district of Fairfax. Outside of that, residents don’t have reliable options.
