Council extends Conway Corporation franchises and leases, clearing way for fiber conversion

The Conway City Council voted unanimously to extend Conway Corporation's franchise and lease agreements for electric and telecommunications services, a set of approvals the utility said are necessary to match the term of upcoming bond financing.

Brett Carroll, speaking for Conway Corporation, said the company plans two major projects that underlie the request: construction of a combined-cycle natural-gas plant and conversion of the hybrid fiber‑coax network to full fiber throughout the city. "Our plan is to do that over the next three years," Carroll said, adding the conversion will be phased and often triggered when existing coax infrastructure needs replacement.

Carroll told council the company will borrow to fund the projects and that bond counsel prefers franchise and lease terms that are coterminous with bond repayment schedules. Council members asked whether customers would be forced to convert; Carroll said conversions will be offered when service replacements or issues arise and that residents can request fiber if it is already installed in their area.

Council passed the franchise and lease extensions by unanimous roll calls. Officials said the actions allow Conway Corporation to proceed with project planning and financing and do not themselves alter service terms beyond the extended contractual periods.