Cox Files Protest Over Commission's Choice Of EREC For North Escambia Fiber Internet - NorthEscambia.com

1 year ago 47

December 2, 2022

Cox Communications has retained a instrumentality steadfast and filed a ceremonial protestation against the Escambia County Commission’s fibre net enactment of Escambia River Electric Cooperative (EREC).

A missive to the region from Orlando instrumentality steadfast Gunster states that Cox wants the memorandum of knowing with EREC rescinded and, instead, awarded to Cox.

Escambia County primitively sought proposals to supply fibre to homes northbound of 10 Mile Road, with different upcoming petition for proposals for the country southbound of 10 Mile Road. The region committed up to $10 cardinal to the country northbound of 10 Mile Road, with different $12 cardinal for the country to the south.

The connection from EREC includes lone their electrical franchise territory, an country fundamentally northbound of Barrineau Park Road. As a subordinate owned electrical cooperative, EREC would supply fibre net work to each 4,000 positive homes and businesses successful their territory. Cox submitted a connection to supply broadband net to astir 2,500 homes successful unspecified areas northbound of 10 Mile Road.

Acceptance of the EREC connection would beryllium followed by a 2nd signifier to the south.

In their protest, COX claims the proposals from EREC and different companies are invalid due to the fact that they bash not see the implicit primitively specified country northbound of 10 Mile Road. For that reason, Cox contends they should win. In addition, the Cox connection scored higher than EREC’s successful a region enactment committee ranking.

Commissioners, however, altered the archetypal requested work country astatine a November 28 gathering due to the fact that they felt the EREC connection would amended service the unserved and underserved residents of North Escambia. In addition, District 5 Commissioner Steven Barry pointed retired that EREC is owned by the residents they serve.

Escambia County’s publication toward fibre net successful the region volition travel from national American Rescue Plan Act funds.

PROPOSAL DETAILS

EREC Proposal

Under their proposal, EREC requested $6 cardinal from the region toward a $24 cardinal project. They projected fibre net to immoderate 4,000 positive homes and businesses — each azygous location and concern successful their footprint — and a fibre ringing connecting astir 2 twelve region facilities. The archetypal homes could person work arsenic aboriginal arsenic adjacent summer.

Three basal velocity tiers projected by EREC are:

100 Mbps/100 Mbps — $49.95/month
1 Gig/1 Gig — $79.95/month
2 Gig/2 Gig — $99.95/month

Cox Proposal

In their proposal, Cox requested the region supply $16.3 cardinal toward a $24.4 cardinal task to conception a 132 mile fibre ringing to 44 region facilities and supply fibre net to 2,514 “underserved” households. Their projected timeline was 18-36 months to implicit the residential portion, with 36 full months needed to ringing the region facilities.

Cox projected bundle pricing arsenic follows: