Franklin County Broadband Authority unanimously approves letter of support for Comcast BEAD application, asks for periodic progress reports

The Franklin County Broadband Authority voted unanimously to issue a letter of support for Comcast’s forthcoming BEAD grant application and asked that any successful applicant provide periodic written and meeting updates to county staff and the Authority.

Comcast representative Sandra Pratt sought the Authority’s backing as her company evaluates which unserved and underserved ZIP codes to include in its BEAD submission. “We’re excited about this opportunity to come into Franklin County and grow and provide service and options for service to those who are not served and those who are underserved,” Pratt told the Authority, describing Comcast’s plan to build an “all‑fiber network” offering 1–1.2 gigabit speeds and to collaborate on longer‑term capital investments in the county.

Steve (county staff) explained why the Authority’s letter matters for BEAD scoring and framed a reporting expectation: applicants receive additional points if they submit letters of support from localities, and the county has previously asked successful ISPs to provide periodic status updates. “What the Authority wanted is to make sure whoever the successful candidates were would periodically … stay in contact with staff and provide updates, potentially come to a meeting and give updates,” Steve told members before the motion.

After brief discussion, a motion to provide a letter of support for Comcast that explicitly requests periodic progress reports was made and seconded. The Authority approved the motion by voice vote with no opposed votes recorded.

Why it matters: BEAD is the federal broadband program intended to close the remaining gaps in high‑speed internet access. A local letter of support can improve an applicant’s BEAD score, and the Authority’s requirement for periodic reporting creates a public record and a local point of oversight if Comcast or any awarded provider goes forward with construction.

What the motion requires: The approved motion directs staff to issue a letter of support for Comcast’s BEAD application and to include language that the awarded provider will report construction and subscription progress periodically to Franklin County staff and to the Broadband Authority at meetings or via written updates.

Context and next steps: County staff said BEAD applications are due March 1; awards could take several months to be announced. Pratt told the Authority Comcast expects the federal review to take two–four months and, if awarded, construction windows could run over multiple years (BEAD projects typically have multi‑year build periods). The Authority also discussed that Comcast’s submission would focus on ZIP codes the state provided as BEAD‑eligible and that Comcast sees roughly 2,500 unserved addresses across named ZIP codes including Rocky Mount, Glade Hill and others.

Ending note: The Authority also heard updates on other ISPs and broadband projects at the same meeting, and staff said they will include the requirement for periodic reporting in future letters of support to other applicants as well.