The southern Texas town of New Braunfels is partnering with Frantic Holdings LLC to bring high-speed broadband to downtown businesses. The Community Impact Newspaper reported that after researching the matter since 2015, officials decided a public and private collaboration would be the most effective way to move the project forward. Frantic Holdings is working with New Braunfels Utilities to utilize existing poles for the fiber backbone and will both operate service and provide customer support.
According to the Community Impact Newspaper, on April 26, the City Council unanimously approved up to a $400,000 EDC-subsidized expenditure for Frantic Holdings to install and operate the broadband network. The EDC will commit $1,500 for each newly activated and contracted commercial customer with the subsidy available for the first 200 commercial customers (up to $300,000). The city requires Frantic Holdings to provide 1GB or greater service for no more than $99 per month over a 36-month term.
The $300,000 city commitment will span four years. Frantic Holdings must obtain 100 active contracted customers within the first year and an additional 100 active contracted customers in the second year. According to Jeff Jewell, New Braunfels director of economic and community development, the plan does not currently include residential service.
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