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Utah Broadband says Wallsburg included in USDA ReConnect award; BEAD application planned for remaining homes
Summary
Utah Broadband reported the town is in the USDA ReConnect award polygon and that environmental reviews and pole attachments remain before construction; the company said it will pursue BEAD funding and other options for remaining valley homes.
Utah Broadband told the Wallsburg Town Council on Jan. 16 that the company has been awarded USDA ReConnect funds that include a polygon covering part of the valley and that Wallsburg is within the awarded area. Mike Simmons, a Utah Broadband representative, said environmental reviews, contract finalization and coordination with power companies are still required before construction can begin.
"We recently applied for the USDA's...ReConnect 5 grant, and we were awarded that," Simmons said. He described the polygon shown in the presentation as the area awarded and said the company is finalizing contracts with USDA and expects environmental and permitting steps to take time; he estimated it could be about a year before groundbreaking.
Simmons said the awarded area covers a subset of the valley and that the company applied for several funded areas; he also said Utah Broadband will pursue the BEAD (Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment) application round, with applications due in March, to attempt to fund remaining unserved or underserved homes. "Part of the BEAD grant we have to match a minimum of 25% of the funds," Simmons said, warning that preliminary engineering, environmental studies and matching requirements are part of the overall cost picture.
Council members asked about overhead versus underground installation. Simmons said much of the work will attach to existing aerial power poles and that when trenches are open the contractor would place conduit and the company would lay fiber inside the conduit; underground installation is typically cheaper to maintain but more work up front. He also said Utah Broadband has experience working with local power districts in nearby projects and will pursue coordination with Rocky Mountain Power and local electric districts for attachments.
No formal municipal action was taken at the work meeting; council members asked Utah Broadband to continue updates and to notify the town as engineering and permitting steps progress.
