BEDFORD – The Lawrence County Commissioners approved a contract Tuesday morning to allow AT&T to expand broadband in Lawrence County.
The commissioners have been consulting with Morley Corporation on possible routes to expand broadband services throughout the county. The company specializes in providing architecture, surveying, and engineering services. It also works in the broadband industry.
The commissioners have negotiated an agreement with AT&T to expand their coverage area. See the map below.
AT&T has proposed to bring broadband to 1,229 residents north of Mitchell and east of Williams. The total project case is $4,349,583. The provider will contribute $2,000,000 with a county contribution of $2,349,583. The County cost per premises served with be $1,912. The construction schedule will be 24 months.
Work will begin as soon as AT&T receives the signed contract.
“They have estimated it will take 24 months to complete,” added Commissioner President Dustin Gabhart. “But they have always completed work ahead of schedule.”
Morley Corporation has been collecting data and working on overlay maps that include future plans with REMC, AT&T, and Smithville to provide broadband to rural areas of Lawrence County.
AT&T is now providing broadband to the Popcorn area and expanding outward. RTC is providing broadband to the Williams area and is expanding its coverage.
Now a Request for Proposal will be released to receive applicant responses to deploy a network of high-speed broadband internet. Those responses need to meet the American Rescue Plan Act fund eligibility. The county has $2.4 million of ARPA funds available to expand broadband in the county.
Increasing broadband access has been a key topic of conversation over the last several months.
Any American Rescue Plan Act funds the county decides to allocate toward broadband projects must be spent by Dec. 31, 2024. However, the project would have an extended deadline of Dec. 31, 2026.
