Paragould Light Water & Cable

What Paragould Light Water & Cable does

Paragould Municipal Utilities (PMU), doing business as Paragould Light Water & Cable (PLWC), is a vertically integrated municipal utility owned and operated by the City of Paragould, Arkansas. Governed by a five-member Board of Commissioners under Arkansas state law, PMU delivers five core utility services — electric distribution, water supply, wastewater treatment, fiber internet (branded U-Plus), and IPTV television — plus ancillary offerings including security lighting installation and residential solar consultation. The utility serves the City of Paragould community, including residential households (primary), commercial and industrial businesses, and a small agricultural segment purchasing biosolids fertilizer.

The company's technology stack is anchored by substantial physical infrastructure: over 700 miles of power lines, a municipal power generation plant, 5,000+ maintained street and security lights, a 100-acre wastewater treatment facility utilizing the Eimco Carrousel activated sludge system and Schwing Bioset Lime-Stabilization process, and a Fiber-to-the-Home network — the only FTTH infrastructure in Paragould. Operational systems include a SCADA platform for electrical distribution monitoring and an in-house drinking water lab that is one of only five in Arkansas certified by the Arkansas Department of Health for microbiological testing. PMU produces over 4 million gallons of water per day and converts wastewater byproducts into Class A EQ Biosolids sold to local farmers as fertilizer.

PMU's business model is exclusively subscription/recurring across all seven revenue streams, with no transaction, advertising, or licensing components. Residential pricing tiers range from $6.50/month (entry-level security lighting) to $234.42/month (IPTV Prime bundled with Fiber 1000); commercial electric includes demand charges for facilities exceeding 250 kW monthly demand. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through a physical service center and drive-thru at 1901 Jones Rd, a 24/7 customer service line, an online self-service portal, and Walmart retail payment locations. Marketing emphasizes local community presence, bundled utility convenience, and reliability rather than competitive positioning. As a municipal utility with franchise exclusivity, PMU does not raise external capital, has no parent company beyond the City of Paragould, and reports no investor-facing financial metrics publicly.

Name

Paragould Light Water & Cable

Legal name

Paragould Municipal Utilities

Website

https://paragould.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Paragould Municipal Utilities is a municipal utility owned by the City of Paragould, Arkansas, delivering electric, water, wastewater, fiber internet (U-Plus), and IPTV television services to residential, commercial, and industrial customers within its exclusive city franchise territory.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Utility Services

NAICS

Electric Power Distribution (221122), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310), Sewage Treatment Facilities (221320), Electric Power Transmission, Control, and Distribution (22112)

SIC

Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900), Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Municipal Electric Utilities (Munis) (EUADABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) (EUANADAA), Municipal & Community Broadband Networks (HDAIACAE), Municipal & Community Broadband ISPs (HDAIADAH)

Keywords

• Electric utility services
• Water and wastewater
• Fiber internet services
• IPTV television services
• Municipal utility provider

Headquarters

HQ city

Paragould

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Electric Service: Residential, commercial, and industrial electric distribution services. Residential rates include customer facility charge and tiered kWh pricing. Industrial rates include demand charges for facilities with monthly demand of 250 kW or greater.
2. Water Service: Water distribution with customer facility charge and tiered volume-based pricing. Produces over 4 million gallons per day.
3. Wastewater/Sewer Service: Wastewater collection and treatment services with customer facility charge and tiered volume-based sewer rates based on water consumption up to 14,000 gallons per month per meter.
4. Fiber Internet: Three-tier fiber internet service (Fiber 100, 500, 1000) with monthly subscription pricing. Additional fees for managed WiFi, additional APs, and static IP.
5. IPTV Television: IPTV service with multiple tiers (Economy Basic, Expanded Basic, Prime, Prime Plus) plus premium channel add-ons (HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, STARZ). Bundle pricing available with internet packages.
6. Security Lighting: Security lighting installation and monthly service for outdoor lighting at various wattage levels from 100W HPS to 1000W MH.
7. Solar Consultation Services: Home solar system consultation services to help customers evaluate solar investment options and compatibility with existing utilities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Paragould Municipal Utilities (PMU) is a municipal utility provider delivering electric power distribution, water and wastewater treatment, fiber-to-the-home internet (U-Plus brand), and Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) to residential and commercial customers in the City of Paragould, Arkansas. The utility maintains over 700 miles of power lines, a wastewater treatment plant spanning approximately 100 acres, and operates as the sole fiber internet provider in its service territory. Additional offerings include security lighting installation and home solar consultation services.

Product overview

Paragould Municipal Utilities (PMU) operates as a municipal utility provider offering four core services: electric power distribution, water and wastewater treatment, fiber internet (branded as U-Plus), and IPTV television services. The company provides fiber-to-the-home internet with three speed tiers (Fiber 100, 500, and 1000), IPTV with multiple channel packages and premium add-ons, security lighting installation, solar consultation, and wastewater treatment services. The infrastructure includes over 700 miles of power lines, a generation plant, a wastewater facility spanning approximately 100 acres, and fiber optic coverage throughout Paragould as the sole fiber provider in the area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• U-Plus (Uplus): Fiber internet service brand offering high-speed internet packages (Fiber 100, Fiber 500, Fiber 1000) with speeds up to 1000 Mbps.
• U-Plus IPTV

Products and services

• Electric Services Electric power distribution services for residential, commercial, and industrial customers including infrastructure maintenance across 700+ miles of power lines, supplemental power generation through an owned generation plant, and 24/7 outage response capability.
• Water Services Potable water supply service with production exceeding 4 million gallons per day, meeting and exceeding EPA standards. Distribution to residential and commercial customers across Paragould with tiered volume-based pricing.
• Wastewater Treatment Services Wastewater collection and treatment using the Eimco Carrousel activated sludge system and Schwing Bioset Lime-Stabilization process at a 100-acre facility. Produces Class A EQ Biosolids sold to area farmers as fertilizer.
• U-Plus Fiber Internet Fiber-to-the-home internet service offering three speed tiers (Fiber 100, 500, 1000) with symmetric speeds up to 1000 Mbps. Unlimited data with options for managed WiFi, additional access points, and static IP. PMU is the only fiber internet provider in Paragould.
• IPTV Television Internet Protocol Television service with multiple channel tiers (Economy Basic, Expanded Basic, Prime, Prime Plus), premium channel add-ons (HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, STARZ), DVR capabilities with up to 125 hours storage, and bundle pricing with internet services.
• Security Lighting Outdoor security lighting installation and monthly service for residential and commercial customers with options ranging from 100W HPS to 1000W MH bulbs and LED flood lights. Billed monthly on utility accounts.
• Solar Consultation Services Home solar system consultation and net metering services helping customers evaluate solar investment costs, savings, and compatibility with existing PMU utilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 4 million gallons of water produced per day, exceeding government standards and regulations
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature4 records

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Conway Corporation: Conway Corporation is an Arkansas-based municipal utility offering electric, water, wastewater, fiber internet, and TV to Conway — virtually identical service mix and municipal structure to PMU, making it the closest comparable.
• JEA (Jacksonville Electric Authority): JEA is a large community-owned utility providing electric, water, and wastewater services in Jacksonville, FL — same municipal utility model as PMU, just at larger scale.
• EPB (Electric Power Board of Chattanooga): EPB is a municipal electric utility that built citywide FTTH (one of the first in the US) and offers bundled electric, internet, and TV services — a scaled analog of PMU's U-Plus fiber-over-electric model.
• Bristol Tennessee Essential Services (BTES): BTES is a small municipal electric, water, and fiber (OptiNet) provider in Tennessee — directly mirrors PMU's bundled electric-water-fiber municipal structure at similar community scale.
• Tullahoma Utilities Authority (TUA): TUA is a small Tennessee municipal utility offering electric, water, wastewater, and fiber internet — same community-scale multi-utility municipal structure as PMU.
• Owensboro Municipal Utilities (OMU): OMU is a Kentucky municipal utility providing electric, water, wastewater, and fiber broadband services — closely comparable multi-service municipal utility operating model.
• Springfield City Utilities (Missouri): Springfield City Utilities is a municipal utility providing electric, water, wastewater, and broadband (SpringNet fiber) — directly comparable multi-service municipal utility structure.
• Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU): GRU is a Florida municipal utility offering electric, water, wastewater, and fiber internet (GRUCom) — a comparable mid-size multi-utility municipal operator with bundled telecom.

Broad incumbents

• AT&T Fiber: AT&T is a large incumbent telecom with fiber broadband services that could theoretically overbuild PMU's U-Plus territory — relevant as a potential future competitive threat to PMU's broadband monopoly.

Regional players

• Cullman Electric Cooperative: Cullman EC is an Alabama distribution cooperative (not-for-profit member-owned) operating in nearby territory — comparable distribution-scale utility in the same regional geography though structured as a co-op rather than municipal.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ParagouldLWC
• Facebookfacebook.com/PLWCUtility
• Instagraminstagram.com/paragouldmunicipalutilities
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/paragould-light-water-and-cable

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Paragould Light Water & Cable