Cass County broadband project reports accelerated construction and new customer connections

Cass County’s broadband program reported progress and early completion milestones during the Nov. 17 commissioners meeting.

Broadband manager Matt Maverick told the board the original CAS ring recently added 11 customers, bringing the total connected customer count to about 675 — “above 50%” of the passings on that ring. He said a cash-ready grant project shows 202 miles constructed with zero miles remaining, and that portion of the project is effectively 100% complete. Maverick described the work as running ahead of the original schedule and said crews are beginning construction this week in the Ardolf area, a federally funded expansion that includes approximately 1,700 service passings.

Maverick outlined the customer-connection process: a staking visit to mark features (irrigation, fences), locate utilities, a drop crew to run fiber to the house, splicing at the road, and an installer to complete the home connection. He described separate drop, install, splicing and construction crews and said the project maintains in-house staff supplemented by multiple contractors.

During board questions, Maverick said the Ardolf area target completion is December 2026 and noted that one previously projected date (August 2026 for a separate segment) has been met earlier than expected. He provided counts of installed drops (377) and customers on the CAS-ready segment (93) and described efforts to accelerate customer take rates where possible.

The board did not take a formal vote on the broadband report; Maverick’s update will guide staff planning and outreach to newly serviceable properties.