Comcast fail leads county broadband in limbo

A $22 million project to bring broadband services to nearly 33,000 residents of northeast Madison County sits in limbo after internet service provider Comcast failed to submit a federal grant application in a timely manner, county officials said.

“I am very disappointed in a company of that stature,” Paul Griffin, District 5 supervisor and board president, said.

The county entered a contract with the internet service provider after a contract was signed on Sept. 6, of this year. Board Attorney Mike Espy told the board at Monday's meeting that Comcast failed to submit the full application for the Broadband ReConnect Program, a grant issued by the United States Department of Agriculture, by the noon deadline on Nov. 3.

The project is said to cost around $22 million and that is how much they were hoping to receive from the grant process. Comcast had also agreed to put up money towards the project as well.

Espy told the board that Comcast had requested a meeting to discuss how to move forward.

As of Wednesday morning, Griffin said that supervisors and legal counsel are still discussing what they want to do though they do plan to meet with the company to “see what they have to say” as early as next week.

Espy said the county worked closely with Comcast to submit the application including asking for waivers, all but one of which were approved and had Waggoner Engineering supply them with environmental data for the submission form.

Espy noted that Comcast was selected from four internet service providers in large part because of their guarantees that the application would be submitted in a timely manner.

Both District 4 Supervisor Karl M. Banks and District 3 Supervisor Gerald Steen voiced their disappointment during the meeting.

“I am not sure where the board wants it to go but I am very disappointed at where we are today,” Steen said.

The county has set aside $10 million from the American Rescue Plan Act towards the broadband project. Espy said the ReConnect USDA grant would have allowed them to spend that money on other needed projects.