north arkansas electric cooperative
NEXT outside plant technician Keith Guffey installs fiber-optic cable to a new NEXT business subscriber on Lake Norfork.
NEXT, Powered by NAEC tops 10,000 subscribers North Arkansas Electric Cooperative’s fiber-optic subsidiary NEXT, Powered by NAEC reached a subscriber milestone in late 2021. More than 10,000 coop members now have NEXT’s high-speed internet as well as the economic and educational advantages such access affords. NAEC formed NEXT in March 2016 as a pilot project to bridge the “digital divide” rural co-op members faced. It was to offer internet with speeds of up to 1 gigabit-per-second as well as phone and television services. “The pilot was a great success in regard to subscriber take-rates and satisfaction,” CEO Mel Coleman said. “It also validated our construction estimates and ensured we could build this vital communications infrastructure to the rest of the territory while being good stewards of our memberowned cooperative.” The NAEC Board of Directors approved expansion to the remainder of the co-op’s 30,000 members in mid-2018, and a five-year construction project began. “We must give credit to our NAEC and NEXT employees and contractors,” said Scott Hamby, NEXT vice president of operations. “Their dedication to the work at hand has allowed us to turn a five-year build into a four-year one. We plan to finish constructing the fiber-optic network to our remaining members by the end of 2022.” 22
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The fiber-optic line is built along the electric feeders out of NAEC’s substations. Construction is in progress now in and around Clarkridge, Gepp, Midway, Oakland, Tracy and Wirth. The first quarter of 2022 will see construction in the Mallard Point, Myron and Pineville areas. Brockwell, Gamaliel, Oxford and Violet Hill will be next. NEXT not only benefits existing NAEC members, but its high-speed internet also makes our area attractive to people and businesses considering relocation, said Mike Beam, NEXT vice president of business strategy and development. “We’ve seen explosive growth from folks who are moving into our region and need true high-speed internet as they work and learn from home,” Beam said. “Real-estate agents call often to see if NEXT service is available at a specific home. I’ve spoken with new subscribers from Houston, Chicago and other major cities who say that NEXT’s internet in rural Arkansas outpaces the service they had.” On the business side, NEXT serves 911 call centers, retail stores, county government facilities, banks, medical offices and more. “Our goal of same-day service is a game-changer,” Beam said. “Businesses that require reliable, fast service choose NEXT. Feedback from one business owner who sells parts online said his previous provider’s frequent outages cost him thousands in lost sales.”
HIGH-SPEED INTERNET NEXT is the smart choice for fast, reliable and affordable internet service. It features symmetrical upload and download speeds with no data limits. • • •
Basic (Speeds up to 100 Mbps) Streaming (Speeds up to 300 Mbps) Advanced (Speeds up to 1 Gbps)
$49.95 $64.95 $79.95
Wireless Gateway/Router Service
$4.95
TELEVISION • • • •
HD
Local Complete Advanced Ultra
$38.95 $95.95 $114.95 $155.95
HD set-top box
$6.95
my co-op
In addition to package below, NEXT offers extra sports and movie packages, such as HBO. HD-DVR
$48.95 $105.95 $124.95 $165.95
PHONE NEXT offers unlimited local and long-distance calling and standard calling features, such as caller ID, call waiting and voice mail. A battery back-up option is available for $5 a month. •
Basic
Residential
$27.95
Business
$34.95
SUBSCRIBE TO NEXT NAEC members can see if NEXT is available at their home or business by entering their service address at mynextfiber.com or calling 870-895-3221. Members can subscribe at mynextfiber. com, by calling 870-895-3221 or returning the NEXT packet mailed to their home or business. Pricing reflects residential recurring monthly charges. Prices and packages are subject to change. For business prices, please call 870-895-3221 and select "NEXT." More co-op news on page 26
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The member-funded Operation Round Up® program awards thousands of dollars in scholarships to local graduating high school seniors each year. NAEC is accepting applications for the 2022-2023 scholarship program. The application is available at naeci.com or through high school counselors’ offices. Applicants must mail or deliver the typed application to NAEC by April 13. They must include a high school transcript and three letters of recommendation. To be eligible for the scholarship, high school seniors must graduate at the end of the 2022 school year, and their parents or guardians must be NAEC members. Applicants also must have a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale through the first semester of senior year. The scholarship must be used to attend an accredited institute of higher learning on a full-time basis. For more information, please contact Tori Moss at 870-895-6210 or tmoss@naeci.com.
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NAEC accepting scholarship applications through April 13
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North Arkansas Electric Cooperative is accepting applications for the 2022 Electric Cooperative Youth Tour. Four high school juniors will be selected to attend the allexpense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., June 17-23. The past two years were virtual experiences due to the pandemic. The application is available at naeci.com/youth-tour and through high school counselors. NAEC must receive completed applications by March 18. Please call 870-895-6210 with any questions.
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Youth Tour to capital resumes
NEXT, Powered by NAEC will switch billing software providers in the coming weeks. The move will include a new statement design, an easier-to-navigate portal and a new app. NEXT will provide more information soon and will email subscribers who use the current portal their new log-in information as soon as it is available, which should be by mid-March. For the latest on the transition, visit mynextfiber.com or facebook.com/NEXTbyNAEC. Subscribers also can call 870-895-3221. In the meantime, subscribers still can view their balance and pay their bill at mynextfiber.com. Click on the blue "Pay Your Bill" button in the top right to access the portal.
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New NEXT bill design, portal launching soon
PROGRAM UPDATE — North Arkansas Electric Cooperative no longer will offer members the ability to lease or buy Marathon® water heaters. This change began Jan. 1, 2022, and only applies to new leases. The co-op will continue the lease program for existing participants at this time.
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