Radford approves nonexclusive Comcast franchise; company pledges fiber-first build and emergency-ready Wi‑Fi

Radford City Council voted to adopt Ordinance 18‑06, a 10‑year, nonexclusive franchise agreement that will allow Comcast to build a fiber-first EPON network in the city and attach equipment to city poles under a defined fee schedule.

On the phone for the meeting, Comcast representative Chris Mulhall said, "Comcast is proposing that we are building out our state of the art EPON network, which is our fancy term for fiber network from day 1." Mulhall told council the company expects full buildout within three years but will open enrollment on a rolling basis as neighborhoods are certified, with residents receiving mailers about 90 days before service availability.

Council discussed two contract edits Comcast requested: clarifying when an existing household counts as serviceable for build-area exceptions, and that PEG (public, educational and governmental) channel capital-support fees would begin only after the city provides 30 days' written notice that the channel has been activated. Staff and counsel said the city retains programming discretion over the PEG channel similar to the current franchise arrangement.

The franchise agreement includes a phased-in pole‑attachment rent that rises toward $30 per pole by March 1, 2027 and thereafter adjusts annually by CPI; council members noted the agreement also creates communications-tax revenue opportunities for the city. Council Member 13 moved to adopt the ordinance, which passed with four affirmative votes; council then voted to dispense with a second reading.

Council members raised questions about build-area exceptions for very remote addresses and were told the company cannot be compelled to serve locations outside the contract’s build-area exceptions. Mulhall and staff said pole counts are estimated at several thousand citywide and that pole-attachment fees and franchise fees will generate recurring revenue for the locality.