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Committee member withdraws from broadband effort after provider removed cable and litigation stalled project
Summary
A Point Roberts committee member announced he will withdraw from pursuing local broadband after provider crews removed cable; a contractor quoted $4,600,000 to replace it with fiber, and members described litigation and a canceled locked-in fiber project that set back short-term deployment.
A committee member announced he is stepping back from leading broadband efforts for Point Roberts, saying regulatory problems, provider actions and pending litigation have undermined near-term options for service.
The committee heard that PSE crews removed local Delta/EastLink cable and disposed of the material locally; later a member gave a contractor quote stating, "The answer is $4,600,000," to replace the removed cable with a fiber-optic network. The same member described litigation and the "withdrawal of the locked in POD fiber project," saying those developments leave the community worse off than before the earlier operator exits.
The committee recorded the discussion and acknowledged that while some tools remain, the recent litigation and provider decisions eliminated short-term broadband prospects. The speaker said he would "withdraw" from pursuing the portfolio but offered to support others who take up the work.
Chair and members expressed regret at the setback and noted first-responder communications remain a concern; one public commenter thanked local volunteers and PointNet for previous efforts to design hybrid cable-fiber options. No new contracts or funding commitments were approved at the meeting, and members said follow-up would depend on outside legal and regulatory outcomes.
