UPDATE Former Indiana governor Mike Pence left the Hoosier state when he was sworn in alongside President Donald Trump as the nation’s Vice President earlier this month. But the former governor’s plan to fund several state construction projects marking Indiana’s 200th anniversary has had a few hiccups due to the delay of a wireless agreement that would lease out space on 340 state-owned cell towers, reports the Indianapolis Star.
Pence planned to fund $53.5 million of new projects using the revenue generated from leasing the state’s cell towers. The plan appeared to be moving smoothly as the state announced a deal with Agile Networks in December, but pushback to the agreement delayed its approval; it still has yet to come before committee.
The state already spent more than $5 million on these projects, but without the Agile Networks deal in place, current Governor Eric Holcomb and state officials are looking for alternative funding.
“We did the projects. We have to pay for the projects,” Holcomb’s spokeswoman Stephanie Wilson told the Star.
Pushback from cable and broadband trade groups delayed the potential deal with Agile Networks, reported Inside Towers. The deal was far more expansive than was thought—it included the state’s fiber network—which has lead to uncertainty regarding the deal’s future. “It’s not done,” Wilson said. “We don’t know if or when it will be done.”
January 31, 2017
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