A Tri-County broadband representative told Jefferson County commissioners that the county’s Tri-County segment of a regional broadband build completed roughly 2,000 miles of fiber and now serves about 7,200 customers, but that significant funding gaps remain.

“We’re still looking at $17,000,000,” the presenter said while reviewing a public map of newly awarded areas, noting that recent awards add roughly $4.9 million in federal funds but that gaps remain for many unserved pockets. The presenter said some awarded areas are subject to federal and state program rules that limit the county’s ability to layer local funding onto certain subsidies.

Why it matters: Commissioners and residents said faster timelines and clear eligibility information are crucial for businesses and households that lack reliable service. Small-business owners described day-to-day operational problems under existing low speeds and urged officials to prioritize higher-density business corridors.

Business perspective: Alex Tantor, owner of Lloyd Nursery, said his operation has about 25 Mbps today and needs 1–2 Gbps to reliably run bookkeeping, remote-hosted software and phone systems. “We can’t even run QuickBooks enterprise level software with other software on our computers at the same time,” he said, arguing that better service would directly affect local employers’ productivity.

Timeline and procurement: The presenter said federal approval of recent awards must precede state contracting and that the federal-to-state approval process could take months. If the approvals proceed, construction on the awarded (“blue dot”) areas could begin as early as summer, and the presenter estimated that completing those areas would likely take about 12 months once work starts. The presenter cautioned that some funding — including FEMA reimbursements tied to prior storm recovery — can lag and complicate cash flow.

Pole vs. underground: County officials and residents asked whether work would be overhead or underground. The presenter explained overhead attachments can be faster but that pole attachment processes (including third-party utilities’ timelines) sometimes slow deployment; underground construction raises costs and complexity but is used where specified.

Funding options and local role: The presenter encouraged the county to consider local funding or special assessments to accelerate coverage in targeted areas, and staff noted an option to use special assessments for neighborhood-level buildouts where grant money is not available. Commissioners said they would explore ways to support the project without violating federal funding restrictions.

What’s next: Officials said they will post the federal-state map and funding tracker so residents can check whether their address is included in an awarded area and will continue to press state and federal agencies for faster contracting. The presenter asked for patience while approvals process through federal and state agencies before construction schedules can be finalized.

Sources: Presentation and Q&A at the Jefferson County board meeting; Tri-County presenter (identified in the meeting introduction as Julia Becker from Dry County) and business testimony from Alex Tantor (Lloyd Nursery).