Thursday was a big day for Polk County – particularly for the residents of the north end of the county – as Polk County Judge Sydney Murphy cut the ribbon for the new 440-foot tower that was constructed off FM 287 and will now provide fiber and broadband capability resulting in interoperable connectivity throughout the county.
The ribbon cutting marked completion of the fiber optic project that was funded by the America Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
“Thank you all for coming. This is an exciting day. I want to thank the commissioners court – both current and previous – because they did see the necessity and decided to prioritize the ARPA money,” Murphy said.
“We were able to parlay that money and get double the funds for fiber and broadband capability. Eastex provided 60% and the county provided 40% and with Highline, it was 50%/50%,” Murphy said.
“This is not our service territory, but over years and through the experience Judge Murphy has, she saw the need for infrastructure and fiber up the major corridors. I had never thought about first responders not having connectivity, but when Eastex had the opportunity to work with them, our board and general manager said ‘absolutely,’” Anthony Hendrix, with Eastex Telephone, said.
“As a resident of Polk County, this impacts my life and the rest of this community. We recognize and see firsthand what Judge Murphy, her staff and the commissioners court do for the county,” Hendrix said.
Mike Claude, the Deep East Texas Council of Government’s (DETCOG) director of public safety, agreed.
“I applaud Judge Murphy and the commissioners court for their forward thinking and using their ARPA funds,” Claude said.
Several years ago, a committee was formed to identify what Polk County would need if it ever received its wish list. It was quickly determined that the focus should be on US 190, US 59 and FM 287.
The project, which started in 2022, has been overseen from start to completion by Jessica Hutchins, the county’s grants and contracts coordinator.
“We now have 100% service and no black holes,” Hutchins said, adding that the tower was built with Motorola, Eastex Telephone and DETCOG.
“The team that Polk County has assembled is the best team in East Texas and I’m proud to be here,” Murphy said.
