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Board hears broadband buildout progress; vendors seek state extension for administrative closeout
Summary
Vendors told the Campbell County Board of Supervisors the state‑funded broadband build is largely built but needs extra time for administrative closeout; staff were asked to seek a state extension through Dec. 31, 2025 for remittance, audits and permit closures.
The Campbell County Board of Supervisors received progress reports from multiple broadband vendors and heard a request to seek a short state extension to finish contractual closeout tasks.
Jesse Wilmer of Chantelle told the board the grant area targeted 3,509 underserved locations. She said cabinet locations are built and in service, permitting and design are complete, and Chantelle has spent about $25,600,000 to date. “Today, we have completed and have 30,139 of our locations now complete in service. That’s 89% of the project,” Wilmer said.
Wilmer and Brian Berg (government and industry affairs) listed remaining back‑end items that would extend past substantial construction completion: as‑built speed tests required by the state, financial audits for closeout, a period for customers to sign up under the VADI/ADDI programs, final make‑ready and restorations with VDOT and pole owners, and processing remittance requests through county and state channels.
A board member asked staff to authorize Frank to submit an extension request to the state, citing the state preference that any extension not exceed Dec. 31, 2025. The request was described as administrative, intended to cover invoice remittance and cleanup work after substantial construction is finished rather than to extend large new construction work. No formal roll‑call vote on that authorization is recorded in the transcript.
Board members also raised onboarding and customer‑notification problems during the construction‑to‑service lag. Vendors said they typically mail marketing materials within two weeks of an area being lit but warned that there can be weeks to months of QA/QC and splicing work between passing a location and turning up service. Wilmer said the company will return to target long‑drop customers after substantial completion to allow more time for sign‑ups under reimbursable programs.
The board also heard operating details: River Street reported rock and boring issues slowing crew progress on Cabinet 4 (Huddleston area) and that Cabinet 1 permits were approved while Cabinet 2 required resubmission. Vendors said locates and make‑ready coordination with utilities remain constraints.
Next steps: staff and vendors will continue closeout coordination with the state and pole owners. The board discussed but did not record a formal final vote on authorizing the extension request in the transcript; staff were asked to proceed with necessary submissions and to report back with formal documentation.
