Crews installing new fiber optic lines to improve broadband in Marion

An upgrade to Marion’s internet infrastructure is underway as crews install new fiber optic network lines meant to improve connectivity for residents, businesses and key institutions across the city. 

Officials say the project, part of a statewide initiative led by Gov. Kay Ivey, is on track for completion by the end of February. 

Mayor Dexter Hinton said the city partnered with the governor’s office to grant access to rights-of-way, allowing the Alabama Fiber Network to lay high-capacity fiber throughout Marion. Once complete, the system will deliver up to 400 gig service, which is a big improvement for a community that has long struggled with slow or unreliable internet. 

Hinton said the project is a major economic development tool. 

“Everything now is internet based and online based,” he said. “This gives our residents the opportunity to work from home, helps our institutions operate more efficiently, and positions Marion to attract new businesses.” 

Local stakeholders, including dialysis centers, Marion Military Institute, the courthouse, and other agencies, are already slated to connect to the new network once it goes live. The improved reliability, Hinton said, will also strengthen services for E911 and first responders. 

The fiber expansion follows earlier technology upgrades funded through an E-Footprint grant. That project brought new security cameras, smart boards for City Hall and council chambers, and public information screens both inside and outside the building. It also established a wireless network serving the downtown area. 

“We were one of the first cities to move forward because we’re in an Opportunity Zone,” Hinton said. “This makes Marion more attractive to investors who need dependable, high-speed service.” 

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The funding for the fiber optic network is through American Rescue Plan Act funds. The state allocated $85 million of that funding for broadband in 2022. In 2024, $128.8 million was allocated for the Alabama Fiber Network to extend middle-mile fiber optics to all 67 counties. 

The AFN builds the core network, making it cheaper for companies like AT&T and Spectrum to offer services to residents in places like Marion. Several agencies are doing the infrastructure work, including Yellowhammer Networks that received$3.63 million to provide high-speed internet over nearly 1,000 miles to provide access to 2,352 un-served households, businesses and institutions in Bibb, Chilton, Dallas, Greene, Hale, Marengo, Perry, Shelby and Sumter counties. 

In addition to the fiber lines, Marion will soon host a local data center, allowing companies and institutions to store information within the city. 

“Any company that wants to tap into fiber can store their data locally,” Hinton said. “Construction is happening right now.” 

Hinton said he hopes the upgrade will finally resolve decades of complaints about poor internet and TV service. 

“This ties us in with what’s going on in the world today,” he said. “We don’t want to be left behind.” 

The city plans to issue a formal press release in the coming weeks outlining technical details and service options. Hinton said he looks forward to sharing more as the project reaches its final stages. 

“We’re excited about this fiber,” he said. “It’s going to improve services for our citizens and first responders, and it’s going to help Marion grow.”