Broadband Authority updates projects, votes to back Brightspeed BEAD application

The Franklin County Broadband Authority on Feb. 18 received construction and permitting updates on multiple build projects and voted unanimously to provide a letter of support to Brightspeed for a federal broadband grant application.

Authority members heard separate status reports from River Street (a last‑mile provider working on a three‑county utility‑leverage project managed by the West Piedmont Planning District Commission) and from Shentel (presenters used the name Chantel/Chantelle; the company identifies as Shentel/Shenandoah Telecommunications Company). River Street said splicing and slack‑loop delivery are complete in sections and that about 57 locations are already lit; remaining locations were described in the presentation as 2,820 (project totals cover multiple counties and both 2022 and 2023 award years). Shentel staff told the Authority that its 2021 and 2022 state subsidy projects have delivered hundreds of passings to date and that the company is targeting an October 2025 completion for the 2022 award, contingent on AEP make‑ready work.

Why this matters: County officials and private ISPs said delays by American Electric Power on make‑ready and pole work are the main bottleneck slowing deployment to the last miles. Authority and provider staff…