Poco Lambo outlines $25 million federal grant to bring fiber and public Wi‑Fi to Snyder and parts of Scurry County

Poco Lambo representatives told the Scurry County Commissioners Court they have won a federal grant to build a county‑scale fiber ring and bring fiber‑to‑the‑home and community Wi‑Fi to Snyder and other parts of Skerry County. Patrick Sheryl, speaking for Poco Lambo, said the grant covers the project in the green areas on the company map and described the deployment schedule and technical reasons the company favors fiber.

"Grant funded $25,000,000, which is a 100% of what this project cost," Patrick Sheryl said during his presentation, noting the federal award enabled the company to close a previously marginal business case to reach Snyder by building redundant fiber routes.

Sheryl said a southern portion of the ring from Veal into Snyder is complete and that the northern section should finish shortly; the company expects to turn up customers by the end of the month in the first phase and to continue staged buildouts through 2026 for the remaining funded and company‑funded areas. Sheryl told the court Poco Lambo also funded a separate Snyder/Hermley fiber‑to‑the‑home build the company estimates at roughly $16,000,000.

County staff and a county broadband development contact described plans to pair the fiber with grant‑funded community Wi‑Fi in public places. The Wi‑Fi equipment and initial operation are grant‑funded for the first three years, and county staff estimated ongoing connectivity or economic‑development slots could cost roughly $1,500 a month after that initial period, a figure the county said would be negotiated with partners.

County officials noted the planned Wi‑Fi footprint includes public spaces such as Toll Park, the nature‑trail entrance, the armory area, the softball field, the pool and several neighborhood parks. Poco Lambo said wireless spurs from the fiber ring will feed wireless sites that cover broader, lower‑density areas not directly included in the grant census blocks.

Company representatives emphasized local service and accountability: the company plans a retail/service presence on College Avenue and said it will staff local customer service to provide an in‑county point of contact and faster field response.

Next steps the court discussed included reviewing a draft agreement that would allow the company to place equipment on some county buildings, finalize the operational details and return to the court with a formal intergovernmental or maintenance agreement for consideration. Poco Lambo and county staff said they will coordinate on a grand‑opening date and further public outreach.