For years, high-speed internet stopped short of many rural roads in Middle Georgia. Flint Energies and Conexon Connect are partnering to fix that, connecting members from Peach County to communities near Fort Benning. Flint Energies is building the rural fiber backbone and running fiber all the way to the premises, and Conexon Connect operates and maintains the network as the Internet Service Provider (ISP). This partnership is reshaping daily life for many across the Corridor.
Launched in 2022, this ambitious project is weaving nearly 3,000 miles of network to connect thousands of homes and businesses. Powered by a $100 million investment and $27.5 million in federal grant funding, the first connections sparked to life in 2023. With speeds up to 2 gigabits per second, many rural communities are now matching cities for speed and reliability.
Broadband That Connects a Region
Flint Energies’ fiber network will span nearly 3,000 miles, connecting more than 31,000 homes and businesses across Middle Georgia by late 2025.
Middle Georgia’s counties vary in size and resources, but together they form a connected region. High-speed internet brings them closer by supporting businesses, healthcare, remote work, and online learning.
How the Flint Energies and Conexon Connect Project is Making a Difference:
- Extends high-speed fiber across rural counties
- Brings speeds up to 2 Gbps
- Strengthens local businesses and quality of life
- Builds on the foundation for innovation in Middle Georgia
Commercial Member Spotlight – Mason Pecans
Few know the difference connectivity can make better than Thomas Mason of Mason Pecans, a family business in south Peach County with 3,300 acres of producing trees.
For years, Mason Pecans fought through dropped calls and a slow internet connection. They could not reliably process online payments or update their website. Phone service would cut out at the worst times, and internet speeds crawled so badly that uploading a single product photo could take minutes.
Fast and reliable fiber internet allows Mason Pecans, a Peach County agribusiness, to grow its online sales.
Large providers repeatedly told them no service was planned for their area. Cellular coverage was so patchy, and even boosters failed. They signed up for satellite service and waited years on a list, hoping for a connection that never came. Running their retail arm, Better Halves Pecans, often meant leaving the farm to find a connection strong enough to send orders and handle customer emails.
Why It Matters for Agribusiness
When fiber internet finally arrived in 2023, Mason Pecans experienced a transformation. Their online store reached new customers, orders surged, and customer service was handled from the farm office. Now, fast and reliable internet turns their rural roots into a strength, demonstrating that high-speed connections can empower local agribusiness and keep family businesses thriving.
“We’ve poured our lives into this land and this business, but the lack of internet held us back,” says Thomas Mason. “After years of being told ‘not here,’ Flint Energies and Conexon Connect delivered. We were finally in the right place at the right time, and they gave us the connection we needed to keep our roots here and still reach the world.”
Residential Member Spotlight – Kelli L.
For Kelli L. and her husband, high-speed internet is a lifeline, not just a luxury. It opened the door for her return to the Middle Georgia area. After years on the West Coast, she needed to return home for family, yet still stay connected to her life and commitments out west.
Searching for a home from 3,000 miles away, Kelli faced the challenge of finding fast internet in a rural setting. She longed for land and tranquility, but staying connected to her family in Oregon was just as important to her.
One home in Peach County seemed perfect, but only if it truly had high-speed internet. Kelli asked a family member already using Conexon Connect to go look at the property. Spotting the equipment on the nearby pole gave Kelli the confidence to make an offer immediately.
Living Rural While Staying Connected
Conexon Connect operates and maintains the fiber network as the Internet Service Provider (ISP)
A year later, Kelli still marvels at the speed, reliability, and cost. “There’s no buffering, it’s reliable, and it costs less than what we have paid elsewhere,” she says. Streaming, running Wi-Fi appliances, and keeping in close touch with loved ones all happen seamlessly. With this fiber connection, Kelli has a home in the region, supports her family here, and keeps her life thriving on both coasts.
Broadband as a Foundation for Growth
By partnering with Conexon Connect, Flint Energies is transforming rural communities into places where people can live, work, and thrive without sacrificing the connectivity available to those in cities. For the Middle Georgia Innovation Corridor, this project serves as a powerful example of how collaboration sparks new opportunities and helps build a stronger, more connected Middle Georgia.
As the project nears completion in the fourth quarter of 2025, Flint Energies CEO Jeremy Nelms emphasizes what really matters: the lives changed on the other end of the connection.
“After three years of construction and unwavering commitment, I’m proud to share that we’ve completed our fiber network build – bringing high-speed internet access to more than 31,000 homes and businesses that had long been unserved or underserved. This isn’t just about faster connections. It’s about opportunity, inclusion, and leveling the playing field for our rural communities. I couldn’t be more proud of our team and what this means for the members we serve.”
