The state’s long journey toward connecting rural Alabamians with high-speed broadband internet took a big step this week.

Gov. Kay Ivey traveled to her hometown of Camden Wednesday to join local leaders in celebrating the completion of the state’s “middle mile” fiber network, a key milestone toward rural communities having broadband access.

“Middle Mile” is the term used to describe the stretch of fiber optic cable needed to connect the main thoroughfares of broadband to the local communities where service providers take over. It is often the most difficult hurdle in broadband expansion because of funding issues and regulatory barriers.

Wednesday marked the Alabama Fiber Network’s crossing of the Alabama River over the J. Lee Long Bridge on Highway 29, literally bridging the last remain

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