Skyline briefs Avery County on broadband rollout; county awarded multiple state grants

Edward Henson, identified in the meeting as chief marketing and sales officer for Skyline (Skyvest), told the Avery County Board of Commissioners on Sept. 9 that work to expand fiber broadband across the county is under way and that the county’s project has been used as an example for other North Carolina counties.

Henson said the county’s first grant round (referred to in the meeting as “Avery CAB 1”) was awarded in June 2024 and was “close to $10,000,000,” and that Skyline contributed about $1,500,000 toward that round. He said that CAB 1 will reach roughly 956 locations over more than 260 miles of construction and that remote facilities are being brought online in Riverside, Newland and Crossnore.

The company also described a second award (CAB 2), which Henson said was awarded April 1 and was “a $1,800,000 project” with Skyline putting in about $566,000; he said CAB 2 would reach about 805 locations and 39 miles of construction. Henson told the board that Crossnore’s remote facility should be operating in the fourth quarter of 2025 and that the Newland facility should be active by the first quarter of 2026, though work was delayed by recent storms.

Why it matters: County officials and the presenter emphasized broadband as a long-running priority for Avery County and said grant funding plus Skyline’s investment would extend service into areas the speaker described as “rocky” and difficult to reach with buried fiber.

Details and coverage issues: Henson discussed how state grant-eligibility and provider maps can mark areas as “served” even when residents report unreliable service; he said the county’s mapping and resident outreach (surveys, QR-code signups and phone calls) helped identify true unserved locations for grant applications. He described three deployment priorities for Skyline—first serve unserved locations, then underserved, then, after those needs are met, expand competitively—saying the company’s cooperative structure makes it willing to invest in low-density areas that public companies may avoid.

The presentation also covered the interaction between grant-funded expansion and market competition: Henson said the grant-driven buildouts had prompted other providers to be “more receptive” and may eventually increase customer choice.

Board response and next steps: Commissioners asked technical and coverage questions during the presentation but did not take additional formal action on the floor. Henson said some additional state programs and “stopgap” funds may address locations that were not included in the current award rounds.

Ending: The board moved on after the presentation; Skyline representatives and county staff indicated construction and customer onboarding will continue through the next several quarters and that state and federal programs will be pursued to reach remaining households.