West Virginia’s Monongalia County Commission announced a $17.8 million public/private deal with Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA) last Tuesday. The Dominion Post reported that the partnership, which has been three years in the making, will bring broadband access to unserved areas over the next 22 months.
The county will contribute $5.98 million to the expansion, and Comcast will cover $11.84 million. The project will include a mix of buried lines and aerial lines using existing poles.
Kevin Broadhurst, vice president of governmental affairs with Comcast, shared that the project’s reach will extend across the western parts of the county, with some crews also operating in the eastern part. The focus will be on rural, unserved areas where the need for broadband access is most acute.
The Dominion Post reported that although the project will be ongoing, homes and businesses will see connectivity as it becomes available. Commission President Sean Sikora noted that once the project is completed, some dead zones in the county will still need to be addressed.
In preparation for the project, the county invested over $630,000 in a comprehensive broadband plan, including legal fees and professional services. “We’ve done enough engineering where we really can give people the playbook for how to provide connectivity to our whole county,” Sikora told The Post.
Reader Interactions