The Polk County Board of Commissioners recently applied for a grant that could bring an expansion of broadband opportunities for Polk County.

A unanimous vote was cast by the Commissioners to endorse the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (“NTIA”) Build Broadband Infrastructure grant application.

Michael E. Tanck, Director of Government Affairs for Charter Communications, recently presented information to the Commissioners on possible broadband expansion opportunities for Polk County. Tanck had spoken with the Commissioners in February to share that Charter had received federal funding through the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (“RDOF”) to bring broadband to 1,350 locations (addresses) in Polk County.  He said they must have 20 percent of this project completed by year four and 100 percent by year six.

The NTIA grant is targeting counties that have populations less than 50,000, have low in-and-out speeds, and have already been awarded federal grants such as the RDOF, which makes Polk County a prime candidate. Tanck said there is $288 million available to rural counties through the grant and that Charter Communications is pursuing three N.C. counties (Polk, Alexander and McDowell) to win the grant, which will provide broadband to additional locations (addresses) in Polk County. 

Polk County’s application was submitted prior to the August 17 deadline, but no date was given on when the awards will be announced. According to a press release, a selection of applicants would be completed by November 15, 2021 and the earliest winners would be notified is November 29, 2021.

If awarded, there will be no financial obligations for Polk County. Charter Communications has committed to partnering with Polk County on the proposed project and would assume responsibility for managing all aspects of the construction effort, including project design, including data collection, securing permits, completing a construction plan, and overseeing the construction and eventual operation of the proposed broadband network.

Additionally, Charter would contribute its own funding and personnel to the project as described in the application and accompanying proposed budget, and would also oversee maintenance of the system, customer intake, and service delivery once the project is completed. Charter would partner with Polk County as needed to coordinate the verification of addresses served by the project and elimination of any regulatory barriers.