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Antietam Broadband pitches private fiber build; council postpones permit agreement to May
Summary
Antietam Broadband told the Mount Airy Town Council on April 7 that it will self-finance a private fiber network and plans an initial build to about 5,000 homes and businesses, focusing first on the Carroll County side of town.
Antietam Broadband President Chris Shipman described the company's privately financed plan to build fiber-to-the-premises service in and around Mount Airy and asked the council to finalize a public works agreement (PWA). The council postponed action until its May meeting after clarifying questions about coverage on the Frederick County side of town.
Shipman told the council the company is privately owned by the Sherrs family and has invested roughly $48 million to build fiber in the broader region; it has spent about $500,000 in Mount Airy for BG&E pole work and anticipates building to roughly 5,000 homes and businesses in an initial phase focused on the Carroll County side of the town. He said Antietam does not rely on federal or grant funding for the build and that its offerings include gigabit fiber, managed Wi-Fi, TV, phone, business services such as dark fiber and colocation, and disaster-recovery solutions.
Council members asked whether Antietam planned to extend service to Mount Airy residents on the Frederick County side. Shipman initially described phase 1 as Carroll County-focused but then committed in the meeting to include both sides of town in the company's build if the necessary permissions and agreements were provided. Council members pushed for that commitment to be written into the MOU/PWA.
Other substantive details included Antietam's reported replacement of about 310 utility poles while working with BG&E (which Shipman said had cost the company millions), an estimated 7–10 calendar days of construction disruption for a given construction quadrant, and competitive pricing claims (Shipman said Antietam's 2.3-gig service could be $20 less than local competitors for certain speeds). Shipman also said the company has already installed service to more than 200 customers in Carroll County and has a waiting list for installs.
The council voted to postpone consideration of the PWA to the May meeting to allow town staff time to include a clear commitment covering both Carroll and Frederick sides in any agreement and for the MOU language to be finalized. The postponement passed by voice vote.
