[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 122 (Tuesday, July 13, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E753]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





           AWARDING AND CELEBRATING MEC'S FIBER-OPTIC PROJECT

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                           HON. PAUL A. GOSAR

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 13, 2021

  Mr. GOSAR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the first Mohave 
Electric member connections for MEC's fiber-optic project and broadband 
service. In a first-of-its-kind endeavor for an electric co-op in 
Arizona, MEC is building a fiber-optic network to enhance electric 
operations and provide reliable broadband service for each member in 
MEC's service territory which consists of 33,000 members and 42,000 end 
points.
  MEC was created in 1946 by local residents who took initiative to 
provide themselves with electricity investor-owned utilities refused to 
supply. MEC crews have now already installed more than 190,000 feet of 
fiber line, increasing that number every day. The work the MEC is 
producing for reliable internet is very important because it helps 
small businesses, local emergency responders, and hospitals to be able 
to do their job and help the people of Mohave County.
  Madam Speaker, I express a sincere form of gratitude to MEC, and I 
encourage my colleagues to join me in celebrating a successful project 
and legacy as a valuable organization to the people of Arizona. These 
notable efforts and accomplishments to provide reliable broadband 
service should be recognized and acknowledged. For these reasons I 
stand with MEC for their remarkable impact on the Mohave County 
communities.

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