How to design rural internet solutions that are both sustainable and scalable
From farming towns to lake communities, rural areas are finding new ways to get connected. High-speed internet now powers everything from classrooms to clinics to Main Street businesses. Reliable service has become as essential as power or water—fueling education, healthcare, commerce, and connection across rural America.
Yet many rural providers face the same challenge: how to design and deliver rural internet solutions that are both sustainable and scalable.
At Precision Group, we partner with rural utilities, cooperatives, and providers to make that possible. Our team helps clients plan, build, and power broadband networks designed for long-term reliability—all the way to the customer’s home. From early design consulting and product customization to Made-in-America manufacturing that meets BABA and BEAD compliance, we make the last mile not just reachable, but resilient.
Rural Internet Challenges—and Opportunities
Rural internet access is no longer optional. Communities are losing population, schools are falling behind, and small businesses can’t compete without dependable broadband. Federal funding through BEAD (Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment) and state-level grants are creating unprecedented opportunities for rural builds—but the planning, permitting, and product choices can quickly become complex.
Bryan Hughes, Vice President of Sales at Precision Group, sees the story play out every day:
“Cities and rural areas are looking for ways to keep their people connected and keep their communities thriving. They need better internet to grow—but they also need a trusted partner to help them design it right the first time.”
That partnership-first approach is where Precision Group comes in.
Designing Smarter Networks Starts Early
When a municipality, electric utility, or local ISP receives funding or decides to expand their network, the design phase sets the tone for everything that follows. Choices like aerial vs. buried fiber, cabinet placement, or ONT installation may seem technical—but they determine cost, reliability, and service quality for decades.
Precision Group often engages during this early design and consultative stage, sitting down with providers to understand their specific geography, goals, and constraints.While every provider faces unique challenges, it can still help to hear from someone who’s been there.
“That’s where we can offer insight,” says Hughes. “We’ve faced the same challenges—bridges, terrain, weather, and access—we leverage our experience to help engineers and designers determine the best spec for their network.”
Because Precision Group designs and manufactures many of the network interface devices (NIDs), splitter panels, and fiber management solutions used in the field, they understand both sides of the equation: how a network is built and how it performs in real-world conditions.
The Forgotten Frontier: Inside-the-Home Installation
For many providers, the focus stays on the outside plant—building the backbone and getting fiber to the curb. But as Hughes points out, the last 100 feet inside the home is where reliability and customer satisfaction are often won or lost.
“They’ll spend months thinking through their outside plant and central office,” he says, “and forget to plan for what happens when they get to the customer’s house. It’s kind of an afterthought—like building a home and realizing too late that you didn’t add enough outlets.”
Precision Group helps providers avoid those last-minute scrambles by planning complete in-home connectivity solutions—everything from fiber wall plates and jacks to mounted ONTs. Instead of running loose fiber through walls or relying on temporary fixes, Hughes and the engineering team advocate for durable, replaceable connections that stand up to real-world wear and tear.
“Do it right the first time,” Hughes says. “When you mount the ONT and put a jack on the wall, it’s easy to replace or upgrade. If you don’t, you’ll be pulling cable through rafters again later.”
That installer-informed mindset has shaped products like the ExpressNID and Deep Base Flex NID, built for fast installation, secure protection, and long-term serviceability in both aerial and buried deployments.
Power That Keeps Rural Networks Online
Connectivity is only as reliable as the power behind it. In rural deployments—where miles often separate one cabinet from another—maintenance and downtime become significant cost drivers. That’s where Precision Group’s LFP Rackmount Battery Solutions make a major difference.
Traditional sealed lead-acid batteries are heavy, short-lived, and require frequent on-site maintenance. In contrast, Precision Group’s lithium iron phosphate rackmount battery backup solutions are designed to withstand heat, deliver longer life, and provide remote monitoring through SNMP integration.
“It’s a huge deal for rural,” Hughes explains. “The more spread out you are, the longer it takes to get technicians out to cabinets when power goes out. With remote-managed batteries, you can see where the biggest challenges are in real time and send crews where they’re needed most.”
These systems not only reduce truck rolls and maintenance costs, but they also allow providers to track performance, predict failures, and prioritize service restoration during outages. Instead of guessing which sites are low on power, operators can make informed, data-driven decisions—keeping customers online even in tough conditions.
Meeting BABA & BEAD Compliance—Without Delays
For providers leveraging federal broadband funding, compliance is non-negotiable. The Buy America, Build America (BABA) and BEAD requirements are reshaping procurement strategies across the industry. Precision Group is already positioned to help providers stay ahead of these rules.
As Hughes explains, domestic manufacturing capacity is tightening fast as demand spikes across fiber, power, and infrastructure sectors:
“Every time a new government requirement says 100% of it needs to be built in America, capacity becomes the issue. Lead times push out, waivers come in—but we’re already investing in the capability to deliver compliant products on time.”
Precision Group’s power and battery products already have waivers in place, and its injection-molded enclosures are on track to meet full BABA/BEAD compliance by Q4 2025.
By combining U.S. manufacturing with flexible design and rapid turnaround, Precision Group helps rural providers stay grant-eligible, avoid procurement headaches, and keep builds on schedule.
Helping Wireless Providers Transition to Fiber
Another growing segment of rural broadband expansion comes from wireless internet service providers (WISPs) evolving into fiber internet service providers (FISPs). Precision Group is uniquely positioned to guide that transition—bridging the gap between legacy wireless infrastructure and new fiber deployment.
“We get a lot of calls from wireless providers trying to figure out which parts of their network can go fiber and which should stay wireless,” Hughes says. “They’re used to a different supply chain, so they don’t always see the product options or know who to ask. If we can get to them early, we can help them avoid costly trial and error.”
Through consultation and collaboration, Precision Group helps WISPs and FISPs design hybrid networks that balance performance, cost, and coverage—giving them the flexibility to expand fiber gradually without losing momentum.
Real Results: Rural Providers Building the Future
In Dickson, Tennessee, Ignite Broadband—powered by Dickson Electric—partnered with Precision Group to design a seamless, scalable fiber network built for longevity. The project began with a shared vision: connect more residents, strengthen the local economy, and bring small-town communities up to speed with the rest of the country.
“Small cities are dying because people are moving out,”says Hughes. “These communities need to bring residents and businesses back in. If I’m a rural provider, I want to have the best internet possible to attract people and keep them.”
From the earliest planning stages, Ignite Broadband worked closely with Precision Group to customize fiber panels, splitter modules, and lithium-ion battery backups designed for reliable, low-maintenance operation.
“We wanted to make sure we were building a product that would not only serve our community, but last the test of time,” said George Benjamin, Operations Manager for Ignite Broadband. “Precision Group brought expertise, samples, and support that made us confident we were making the right decisions.”
Ignite also added custom-branded enclosures and wall plates, creating a consistent, professional look across every installation—a simple but powerful touch that built brand pride and trust.
Just up the road in Franklin, Kentucky, the Electric Plant Board (EPB Fiber) took a similar path. As a small municipal utility expanding service to local businesses and homes, EPB relied on Precision Group’s experience to source materials, shape design, and train their team. What began as a challenge quickly became a success story—EPB now serves over 60% of residential customers in some areas, delivering the kind of community-first broadband that keeps small towns thriving.
Whether it’s Ignite Broadband in Tennessee or EPB in Kentucky, both utilities share a common thread: a trusted partnership with Precision Group that turned rural ambition into operational reality.
Partnering for Rural Connectivity
Every rural build is different. Terrain, population density, local ordinances, and available funding all shape the design. But what every project shares is a need for a partner who understands both the big picture and the small details—from network topology to the jack on the customer’s wall.
Precision Group’s role goes beyond selling components. The company helps providers design, build, and sustain networks that will serve their communities for decades—because when the connection is strong, so is the community.
Ready to Build Better Broadband?
Whether you’re a rural utility, electric cooperative, or WISP expanding into fiber, Precision Group can help you make informed design decisions, streamline installation, and power your network for long-term reliability.
Contact our team today to start planning your next build—and discover why more providers trust Precision Group for their rural internet solutions.
