HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda 10-21-2025; 12-2 - Information Item - Broadband Project Update 1
ONCI T
ORANGE COUNTY INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES
Robert Reynolds,Chief Information Officer I roreynolds@orangecountync.gov 1 131 W.Margaret Lane,Hillsborough,NC 27278 1919.245.2276
MEMORANDUM
DATE: October 21, 2025
TO: Orange County Board of Commissioners
FROM: Robert Reynolds, Chief Information Officer
SUBJECT: Broadband Project Update
At its September 16th, 2025, meeting, the Orange County Board of Commissioners approved an amendment
to the Lumos Broadband contract following notification from Lumos that it would be unable to fully meet
the original contract terms. As a result, the contract scope was negotiated and revised, and the total
number of addresses to be served was reduced from 6,370 to 5,852.
This update is intended to address the following questions raised after the meeting and to provide an
update on the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) and Stop Gap funding programs from the
NC Department of Information Technology (NCDIT), Broadband Infrastructure Office.
How many homes have conduit but no fiber?
According to Lumos, homes are not an accurate measure of conduit installation because conduit progress is
tracked by linear footage, not by the number of homes passed. Lumos has completed less than 10% of the
conduit footage in the three areas covered by the amendment. While some homes and neighborhoods may
have visible conduit in place, fiber has not yet been installed. This is because crews were working ahead of
schedule in some areas before construction was paused due to previously reported cost overruns. Under
normal circumstances, fiber is typically placed and homes activated within 90 days of conduit installation.
How many homes on the list of 665 addresses have access to other internet options?
Based on the most recent Federal Communications Commission (FCC) broadband availability data,
approximately 20 of the 665 identified addresses appear to be served by either AT&T Fiber or Spectrum.
This information has been verified using each provider's publicly available address qualification tools.
However, it is important to note that mapping and availability data can contain irregularities, particularly in
rural or transitioning areas. Service availability may be overstated or understated depending on how
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providers report coverage. Based on the information currently available to us, this reflects the most
accurate picture of existing service options at this time.
Why is Lumos installing fiber in grant areas where other providers are installing broadband?
Since project inception Lumos states that they have focused on unserved areas. Cable internet service may be
available to a portion of homes in a predominately unserved area, and Lumos will build fiber to all the homes in
that area because it would not be efficient or feasible to skip over homes that happen to have access to cable.
Has the pricing changed since the project began, and is it still within the contract terms?
Pricing today is equal to or lower than at project inception and is still consistent with the 10%cap on annual
price increases in the contract.Standard rates in place at the time of the Request for Proposals(RFP) response
(December 2021)were as follows:
500 Mbps-$74.99
1000 Mbps-$89.99
2000 Mbps-$159.99
Current price offers can be found at https://fiber.t-mobite.com
When will work resume?
As of today, October 14th, Lumos confirmed that work has begun. A crew began work in Area 1 on October
1st and by October 6th, work had expanded to multiple locations within that area. In Area 2, work is almost
complete, thanks to the alternate feed path that bypasses the DOT project. As a result, crews are now
focused on Areas 1 and 3. We will continue to monitor progress and provide updates as they become
available.
We continue to work closely with the NCDIT Broadband Infrastructure Office on BEAD and Stop Gap
funding programs. NCDIT has provided the following update as of Thursday, October 2, 2025:
BEAD and Stop Gap Program Status
The BEAD awards are still not finalized due to continued curing requests from the National
Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). These curing requests are part of NTIA's
review process and require applicants and state broadband offices to clarify or correct certain aspects of
their proposals. Until this curing process is complete, the final list of BEAD-funded locations remains
uncertain.
In addition, there are still unresolved legal and policy questions around the scope of the BEAD program.
One key issue is whether locations that receive satellite-based or other non-priority BEAD awards may be
considered eligible for funding under the Stop Gap program. Until these determinations are made at the
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federal level, the state is unable to confirm which specific addresses may be included in the Stop Gap
eligibility pool.
Transition to Updated Location Fabric
Another important change is the shift from Version 4 of the FCC Broadband Serviceable Location Fabric
(used for BEAD) to Version 6, which will be used for the Stop Gap program. This updated fabric reflects the
most current location data available regarding broadband coverage and serviceable locations. While this
transition is necessary for accuracy, it has introduced additional complexity as the state works to align
previously identified locations with the new dataset.
Updated Maps for County Website
One of the requests we received was to improve the broadband map on the County website so that it is
searchable and allows residents to locate their addresses. Orange County IT had already recognized the
need for these improvements and had begun exploring solutions prior to this request. We are collaborating
with Lumos, NCDIT, and the County GIS team to enhance the broadband map available on the County
website. Lumos has recently provided mapping data and we are currently working with County GIS to
enhance our current map. We continue to wait for NCDIT to advise what data they will be able to share for
this effort.
Stop Gap Program Timeline
Despite these ongoing challenges, NCDIT is actively working through the challenges to prepare for the
launch of the Stop Gap program which is expected to launch soon. However, at this time, NCDIT has not
provided a launch date.
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