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27 <br /> expanded except by limiting any location where a private provider has been designated to <br /> receive funds through State or federally funded programs designed specifically for broadband <br /> service deployment (i.e. the G.R.E.A.T. grant fund). <br /> The County received four proposals from internet service providers in response to the RFP. <br /> The evaluation team scored the proposals and began contract negotiations with North State <br /> Communications Advanced Services, LLC. The information below summarizes the major <br /> provisions contained in the attached contract. <br /> 1. Network and Coverage <br /> North State Communications will engineer, build, operate, and maintain a fiber to the <br /> premises (FTTP) network in Orange County consisting of over 615 miles of fiber that will <br /> enable connections to approximately 9,898 unserved locations. The network's coverage is <br /> depicted on a map in Attachment A. The precise address points served are listed in <br /> Attachment B (138 Page Document Only Available at: <br /> www.orangecountVnc.gov/servicesites). Any address points that were inadvertently omitted <br /> from Attachment B, but are in the coverage area, will be added to the list of addresses <br /> covered automatically. The provider will be responsible for procuring all easements and <br /> rights of way and will continue to make best efforts at reaching blocked locations for five <br /> years after the completion of construction. <br /> The network will offer up to two gigabit per second (gbps) symmetrical fiber broadband <br /> internet access to every home and business passed. The minimum level service offered to <br /> each home and business will be 100 mbps symmetrical. <br /> The network covers all of the homes identified by the County as unserved with the <br /> exception of approximately twenty (20) households south of Chapel Hill. Since the North <br /> State project will not provide coverage in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro area, building the network <br /> out to these homes would add significant cost. Several other broadband providers serve <br /> this area, so a less expensive solution may be available given the proximity of these homes <br /> to Chapel Hill. Staff will examine alternatives to serve these homes. An additional unserved <br /> address identified by the County in the eastern portion of the County will be served by North <br /> State Communications through a construction project outside the scope of this agreement. <br /> 2. County Contribution and Timeline <br /> The cost to build the entire network is approximately $45 million. The agreement requires <br /> Orange County to pay up to $10 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds as a <br /> grant to North State in three installments: <br /> • $1,000,000 within 30 days of contract execution <br /> • $3,000,000 after enabling connections to 3,000 homes no later than December 31, 2023 <br /> • $6,000,000 after enabling connections to the remaining 6,898 homes no later than <br /> December 31, 2024 <br /> Some of the households defined as unserved are located in areas where a different <br /> provider was awarded Rural Digital Opportunity Funds (RDOF). State law currently <br /> prohibits the use of other State or Federal funding sources to be applied in areas where <br /> RDOF was awarded. Therefore, none of the County's funds will be used to serve <br /> households in those areas. However, North State will build the network and serve the <br />