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Commissioners express support for two ADECA broadband applications to serve unserved areas
Summary
County staff sought letters of support for two broadband applicants to the ADECA program (PSTC and AT&T); commissioners expressed support and staff planned to provide letters for chairman signature, but no formal motion is recorded.
Lee County staff asked the commission to sign letters of support for two broadband applicants seeking state funding through the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs broadband program; commissioners indicated support during the meeting but the transcript does not record a formal vote.
Miss Leverett told the commission the ADECA Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment application window had been extended and two companies — Public Service Telephone Company (PSTC) and AT&T — had asked for Lee County letters of support for projects targeting unserved or underserved areas. “There's a letter in your packet just saying that you are supporting their application to apply, to bring in, their services to these underserved and unserved areas,” she said.
Commissioners expressed support for the letters. One commissioner said smaller providers can be “a lot more nimble” than large carriers in rural areas and supported helping them, while another noted past ARPA work with AT&T but said AT&T’s proposals were previously more costly. “If we can get them in here and help out, then I'm for it,” one commissioner said about smaller carriers.
Leverett told the commission that the companies were requesting the letters so they could include them with ADECA application packets before the extended deadline. The transcript indicates commissioners expected the chairman to sign the letters but does not record an authorization vote or signature being made at the meeting.
