United Communications tells commissioners Williamson County is now ‘8‑gig certified’ after $60M local build

William Bradford, CEO of United Communications, presented a broadband progress update to the Williamson County Commission on Jan. 12, saying the company has invested in fiber across Tennessee and in Williamson County and credited county support with accelerating the build in rural areas.

Bradford said United has invested more than $250 million in broadband infrastructure in Tennessee and that United alone contributed more than $60 million in investment within Williamson County as part of an initiative that used county ARPA funds (about $2 million) and nearly $20 million in state grants to expand service into rural areas. He described United’s approach as ‘rural first’ and showed maps indicating the company prioritized underserved corners of the county before expanding into Franklin and Brentwood. Bradford said the county is now certified as an 8‑gig community, which he described as access to one of the state’s fastest Internet services with local customer support and privacy protections.

Commissioner Tunnicliffe and others thanked United for providing free 8‑gig service to volunteer fire departments. Mayor Anderson and staff also recognized the role of Middle Tennessee Electric’s board in taking early risk to support the project.

The presentation was largely celebratory; commissioners had limited follow-up questions and asked for staff to brief them on how federal, state and local funds were coordinated. Bradford said the company will continue expansion and offered to provide maps and invoices or partner documents if commissioners requested more detail.

There were no votes attached to the presentation; commissioners accepted the update and expressed appreciation for the public–private partnership that expanded fiber access in remaining rural service gaps.