Editor’s note: The Times is counting down 2020’s most noteworthy stories as determined by The Times editorial staff.

High speed internet access has long been a problem in rural areas. But this year – when students and workers were sent home to study and work remotely – the lack of access became a critical issue. This year, though, also brought good news on the internet front for Cullman County residents. 

According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), about 56 percent of Alabama’s rural residents lack high speed internet. Fortunately for them, they have a champion at the state Capitol who fought to give them better access to the world wide web.

State Rep. Randall Shedd (R-Fairview) was well-aware of the challenges rural Alabamians faced and when the former mayor and county commission chairman went to Montgomery, getting better internet access out to rural areas was a priority.

“When I first got in the legislature I addressed this issue with my colleagues and it seems like it’s taken a while, but it’s been a grass-roots issue,” he said. “It’s the people who don’t have it, or have slow or no internet, that’s really reaching out to us for it to do whatever we can.”

Last year, Shedd pushed for the passage of legislation that gave electric companies more authority to provide internet access and added funding to the state grant program.

“We had a tremendous battle last year getting those bills passed,” said Shedd. “It seems some [companies] don’t want to make moves but they don’t want anybody else to either.”

His fellow legislator Rep. Scott Stadthagen noted that Shedd, “fought for rural Alabama for three and half hours from the well [of the House].”

That fight paid off this year when the Cullman Electric Cooperative announced it was making an $18 million investment to bring fiber internet access to its customers. The new venture, Sprout Fiber Internet, is expected to make gigabit-speed internet access to more than 12,000 co-op members. Phase 1 of the project began in June. Next month, the first customers in the Berlin area are expected to be online.

Also thanks to lobbying efforts by Shedd and Senator Garlan Gudger (R-Cullman), Cullman County’s Cyber Broadband Inc. received $1.33 million in state grant funds to provide service availability to 1,600 households, 125 businesses and 50 community anchors in the vicinity of Baileyton and Joppa. The company had previously received grants for internet projects around Smith Lake.

Shedd said back in July at the announcement from the Cullman Electric Cooperative, “This is going to be a game changer for Cullman County and Winston County. When rural Alabama has high speed internet, then rural Alabama will be able to do work in rural Alabama.”