Escambia County Chooses EREC To Bring 2 Gigabit Fiber Internet To North Escambia - NorthEscambia.com

November 29, 2022

The Escambia County Commission voted Monday to prosecute an statement with Escambia River Electric Cooperative to bring precocious velocity fibre net straight to thousands of homes and businesses successful agrarian bluish Escambia County perchance arsenic aboriginal arsenic adjacent summer.

Escambia County volition lend $6 cardinal successful national American Rescue Plan Act funds to the task crossed EREC’s franchise area, which is astir northbound of Barrineau Park Road. EREC volition supply the equilibrium of the estimated $23 to $24 cardinal task oregon use for different grants and funding.

“4,200 to 4,300 homes and businesses, which is each azygous location and concern successful their footprint,” District 5 Commissioner Steven Barry said. “It’s fibre to each 1 of those. It’s astir 700 miles of fiber, 500 aerial, 200 underground. And what’s been negotiated is simply a $6 cardinal publication from region ARPA funds.”

Three basal velocity tiers are projected are:

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

Under the Affordable Connectivity Program, ACP, Lifeline, and different low-income benefits volition little by $30 per month, oregon arsenic debased arsenic $19.95 per month.

EREC is simply a member-owned cooperative founded successful 1939.

“I could not beryllium much excited to beryllium moving guardant with a concern with EREC. The quality to bring existent fibre precocious velocity net entree to each location and concern successful their work country is simply a imagination travel true,” Barr said. “By utilizing lone national dollars, thousands of residents volition summation entree to thing that is crucial, and Escambia County has the quality to spouse with EREC, a cooperative that is owned by our friends and neighbors. It’s genuinely a blessing to beryllium capable to bring entree to this work to agrarian areas neglected by net providers for truthful long.”

“We are precise excited to larn of the Escambia County award,” EREC CEO Ryan Campbell said. “All of america astatine Escambia River Electric Cooperative are anxious to bring broadband fibre to unserved and underserved homes and businesses successful this agrarian county. We are successful the precise aboriginal plan stage, and we look guardant to communicating much astir our plans successful aboriginal 2023.”

EREC’s fibre ringing volition besides link astir 2 twelve county-owned facilities successful the cooperative’s work area.

EREC volition spouse with Conexon Connect nether the proposal.

“Conexon Connect works predominantly with electrical cooperatives, gathering networks utilizing a methodology and architecture that allows the co-ops to leverage their existing infrastructure, frankincense powering reliable and affordable broadband work for 100% of their members,” according to the company’s website.

The region commission’s ballot during a peculiar gathering Monday day was to negociate a memorandum of knowing (MOU) with EREC, and supply enactment arsenic EREC applies for Florida Department of Economic Opportunity grants. The MOU volition instrumentality to the BOCC for last support astatine a aboriginal meeting.

The ballot was 4-1, with newly-elected District 2 Commissioner Mike Kohler voting nary aft saying that helium did not person clip to work and go acquainted with programme documentation.

“I can’t ballot for thing if I don’t person implicit cognition connected it, and I don’t,” helium said.

Other proposals were received from Cox Communications, Florida Power & Light’s sister institution NextCity Networks, and C-Spire Fiber.

Cox projected connecting astir 2,500 homes, portion NextCity Networks projected taking up to 10 years to supply fibre to homes.

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 for the country to the south.

Accepting the EREC connection for $6 cardinal for an country further northbound of 10 Mile Road volition displacement the 2nd signifier to astir southbound of Barrineau Park Road.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under TOP STORIES