Providers say AEP make‑ready permits are the principal bottleneck as county broadband builds advance

Shentel, Appalachian Power, River Street and Zytel representatives told Franklin County officials that delays in Appalachian Power (AEP) make‑ready and pole‑permit work are the primary constraint slowing construction on several broadband projects funded through VADI and other programs.

Shentel project representative Jesse said Shentel’s 2022 project covers about 3,508 subsidized homes and remains substantially behind because many make‑ready permits are still outstanding. “We’ve submitted almost 11,000 pole permits,” Jesse said, and described a mix of cabinets already in service and clusters of locations that can’t be completed until AEP finishes clustered permits. He told the authority the build is 57% serviceable to date and that completing pending permits is the gating item for finishing by the October substantial‑completion deadline.

Appalachian Power’s Rob Mann told the authority the utility has added a project manager and eight additional crews assigned to Franklin County and is considering whether to accept Shentel’s offer to provide contractor crews under AEP oversight. “AP is committed to safe reliable power,” Mann said, adding that crews can be pulled for storm response and that storm work has taken crews away from make‑ready work. He said AEP is targeting completion of the currently queued permits by July 1.

River Street’s representative described a separate, middle‑mile project that depends on AEP’s pole work to carry fiber to River Street’s point‑of‑presence locations and then into customer drops. River Street has built some routes and reported about 58 locations already passable from neighboring counties, with first local customer activations expected in August once the AEP‑installed fiber is lit and River Street can energize its equipment.

Zytel’s chief operating officer, Rodney Graham, said Zytel’s 2024 award covers roughly 215 miles of fiber and more than 5,500 passings; he reported construction underway on multiple POPs and said Zytel expects to build 10–15 miles per month once crews shift from nearby Bedford County into Franklin County. Zytel said most of its plant will be underground and that several VDOT permits are already in hand for specific POP areas.

Authority members pressed AEP performance and asked for stronger, frequent reporting. A leading authority member said she was “extremely disappointed” with AEP’s multi‑year pace and requested weekly updates on permit approvals. County staff and providers agreed to supply weekly permit tallies and a short progress spreadsheet to the authority through the July target window.

Why it matters: county officials and residents blame permit delays for slow activation of funded broadband passes in rural areas. Providers say the work is ready to follow the permits; the county and providers asked AEP to prioritize contiguous clusters so crews can complete service areas without jumping among isolated permits.

What’s next: providers told the authority they will follow up immediately after AEP issues permissions, but they warned the July target remains at risk if crews are reassigned for storm response or if prioritized poles remain unapproved. The authority requested weekly permit‑approval reports from AEP and the providers until substantial completion is achieved.

Sources: verbatim reporting from meeting representatives Jesse (Shentel), Rob Mann (Appalachian Power), Rodney Graham (Zytel), and county staff at the Franklin County Broadband Authority meeting.