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Council approves Send Away franchise to reach underserved areas
Summary
South Willard council approved a franchise agreement with Send Away to expand broadband to addresses designated as unserved or underserved by state maps; the company said construction planning will take several months with a likely spring ground-breaking and local crews handling installs and repairs.
The South Willard City Council approved a telecommunications franchise with Send Away after a presentation by company representatives about planned service to addresses the state has identified as unserved or underserved.
Company representatives told the council the state and federal rural-deployment program directed funding to the state, which identified locations where connectivity fell below minimum thresholds. The representative said the program defines unserved as "25 megabits download, 3 megabits upload" and underserved as "100 megabits download and 20 megabits upload." He told councilors the vendor expects to begin construction planning now and likely break ground in spring, a timeline he described as "probably spring-ish" and "about 5 to 6 months" from planning.
Council members asked whether the project would require new easements and whether contractors might string lines through private backyards. Staff replied much of the work will use state right-of-way and that the franchise as drafted does not require the city to create new easements. The vendor said the build will be a mix of underground conduit and pole work where rocky terrain makes trenching impractical, and added the company hires local crews and intends to handle repairs locally.
A council member moved to approve the Send Away telecommunications franchise agreement; the motion was seconded and carried by voice vote with no opposition recorded. The council asked staff to ensure easement and right-of-way details are clear in the franchise and to monitor build plans with the company.
Council actions: motion to approve Send Away telecommunications franchise agreement (motion made and seconded; voice vote carried).
