Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Broadband topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Charter/Spectrum says Mason County fiber build is two-thirds complete; 1,300 homes activated
Summary
A Charter/Spectrum representative told Mason County officials the county-wide fiber project is roughly two-thirds complete by their tracking, with about 1,300 homes activated (approximately 20% of the planned activations); permit approvals from pole owners remain the critical path to full completion.
Ben, representing Charter/Spectrum, briefed Mason County Fiscal Court on progress for the countywide broadband project on Oct. 14.
Ben said the combined county/city project aims to connect roughly 6,800–7,300 addresses using about 450 miles of fiber and attachments to thousands of utility poles. "We're looking at connecting more than 6,000 homes, probably closer to 7,000 homes when we're all said and done across the county, and in the city," Ben told the court. He added the company is trying to connect to about 7,300 poles in Mason County and that permitting with pole owners is the long pole in the tent.
Ben reported the build and permitting progress as: approximately two-thirds complete by the company’s internal tracking, about 50% of pole permits approved in the county, and roughly 1,300 addresses activated so far ("about 20-ish percent" of planned activations). He said completion timelines hinge on permit approvals from pole owners and forecasted that if the county achieves a high share of permits by November, the project could be broadly activated by spring; otherwise, completion could slip into next summer.
Court members asked about neighborhoods already lit and how the company will communicate activations; Ben said he will provide detailed color-coded maps and periodic updates showing green (activated), yellow (under construction) and orange (awaiting permits) zones. Ben confirmed the company will install fiber and a drop at each participating address so residents can subscribe when ready.
No formal county action was required during the update, but commissioners and staff discussed local help to expedite pole-owner approvals and the possibility of setting up joint meetings if permitting falls behind schedule.
