All Points conducting field tests in county
Company reaffirms pledge not to ask for more local money to provide universal service
Despite tensions between All Points Broadband (APB) and Rappahannock Electric Cooperative (REC), an official with APB said they are “committed to helping the county achieve universal broadband connectivity.”
“All Points Broadband and its contractors are currently conducting field validation of our fiber network design for Rappahannock County,” wrote Kyle Rosner, APB director of government affairs. “These activities will primarily take place within the public right of way (along roads) or in existing utility corridors. As communicated to the county during the July 31 presentation, All Points is committed to helping the county achieve universal broadband connectivity.”
He continued: “To the extent additional grant funds are required to expand the project area to locations that were missed or are newly considered ‘unserved’ due to increased federal definitions of broadband, All Points Broadband has committed that it won’t seek any additional local matching funds from the county.”
The Rappahannock County Board of Supervisors at its Oct. 2 meeting requested that project officials from APB attend its next meeting to give a status update on the project. Rosner said that APB is unable to attend the Nov. 6 meeting, “but plans to participate in future county meetings according to our standing communications plan for the project.” APB last updated the county on July 31, Rosner said.
REC president and CEO John Hewa first sent a letter to All Points CEO Jimmy Carr on Sept. 27, outlining issues with project delays caused by APB, Hewa wrote, and “inaccurate and incomplete make-ready designs.”
Carr responded to Hewa’s letter via email the next day, saying the “most significant” issue was the fact that REC more than tripled its price of fiber one week before the state’s deadline to submit applications for broadband funding last year. The eight-county, universal broadband initiative will be a fiber-tohome network.