Agenda - 01-21-20 12-6 - Information Item - Memorandum-Broadband Initiative Pilot Project Update with Attached Service Area Map

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2 • Cedar Grove United Methodist Church • Cedar Grove Ruritan Club • Poplar Ridge. Covey Creek There is a Crown Castle cell phone tower off of Schley Road that is currently in the pre-permitting process and should come on line by March 2020. Along with weekly progress meetings, Open Broadband provides monthly internal progress reports to the county as well as external newsletters to their customers. In other broadband news, Piedmont Electrical Cooperative has entered into a non-monetary partnership with River Street Communications to offer wireless and eventually fiber to the home to all of Piedmont's customers. Currently River Street's focus is in Person County, but Orange County is working with them to explore are any opportunity to bring broadband Piedmont's Orange County customers. Analysis: The Open Broadband Pilot is not moving at the previously expected pace. The expectation was that Phase 2 would either be started by now or pending. Currently, the focus is solely on Phase 1 and Phase 2 planning has been put on hold. As expected, finding low cost vertical assets has and continues to be a challenge. At the current pace, Open Broadband should have approximately 100 customers signed up by February 2020. This puts the current broadband costs for the County at approximately $2,500 per installation. Broadband Timeline of Relevant Events Past, Present and Future • October 2021 — 36 month pilot complete and Manager offers final report to the Board. • December 2019 — Approximately 85 customers have service. • April 2019 — First Phase 1 customer is signed up proving that initial equipment setup is working • February 2019 — Manager requests Board approval for Open Broadband tower agreement • October 2018 — Contract with Open Broadband is executed and 6 month clock to sign up first customer and have them working begins.