Riverstreet reports fiber progress in Charlotte County; residents raise phone‑service and affordability concerns

Riverstreet representatives updated the Charlotte County Board of Supervisors on July 10 about progress and timelines for the county’s fiber‑to‑the‑home build and answered Board questions about mapping, pricing and phone service.

Rob Taylor said the Phenix serving area has all 212 project route miles completed, with 2,007 locations to pass and 1,918 addresses already passed with access to FTTH services. He reported 200 customer orders in that area (82 installed, 21 in process and 97 pending) and said construction for that serving area was completed in Q2 2024 though 89 locations still require splicing and testing. Taylor said Wylliesburg (163 project route miles, 44 miles installed, 1,911 serviceable addresses) is on track for construction completion in Q4 2024 with customer activations anticipated to begin Q3 2024; the David Bruce area (159 route miles, 24 miles installed, 2,146 serviceable addresses) is scheduled for activations beginning Q4 2024.

Mike Meinel, Riverstreet vice president of marketing, outlined outreach plans (postcards, targeted Facebook ads, emails and in‑person meet‑and‑greets) and presented residential pricing tiers: 1,000/1,000 Mbps for $130; 500/500 Mbps for $110; and 100/100 Mbps for $90. He said promotions typically require a one‑year contract; customers can take service without a contract but would not be eligible for promotional pricing.

During public comment, Kathy Liston said Riverstreet had previously told residents in her area they would not receive phone service but later indicated phone service would be offered following citizen complaints; she also said the monthly prices were too high for fixed‑income residents. Board members asked for clarification about map markers and what different color dots mean; Riverstreet said markers reflect actual address locations and that color coding indicates marketing or construction stage.

Supervisor Hazel Bowman Smith asked why Riverstreet does not offer smaller starter packages similar to another provider; Riverstreet said grant rules require at least 100 Mbps to qualify as broadband and that the company aims to price packages competitively. Administrator Witt and Riverstreet representatives discussed limited or paused state discount programs and other rebate options available to qualifying low‑income customers, noting that some programs may be reinstated by pending legislation.

Riverstreet representatives said they will follow up on specific map questions and on whether some blue markers reflect cross‑county routing.

The update provided the Board a timetable for remaining construction and clarifications on marketing and pricing; residents were advised to contact Riverstreet about eligibility for any low‑income assistance programs.