Agenda 09-04-2025; 6-a - Amendment to the Network Development Agreement for Broadband Deployment with Lumos to Extend the Project Deadlines and Revise Passings

Browse Search

2 resolved, and construction resumed in earnest in late summer 2024. However, those delays did have an impact on the overall project schedule and the project is over budget. As a result, Lumos has proposed to revise the number of passings to 5,852, completing 92% of the passings in the orginal contract. The County has complied with the first ARPA deadline by committing ARPA funding through the contract with Lumos by December 31, 2024. Once obligated, the funds can only be used for the purpose specified in the obligation. The final deadline to spend the ARPA funding is December 31, 2026, so this contract amendment does not jeopardize the availability of ARPA funding. To date, Lumos has installed 739 route miles of fiber in Orange County. This network is available to 14,981 total homes including 5,187 previously unserved and underserved homes included in the 2022 agreement. The original Lumos project did not reach all of the unserved and underserved homes in the County. These areas have been referred to as doughnut holes where approximately 600 unserved and underserved homes are located. The County has consulted with the North Carolina Division of Broadband and Digital Equity, and the most likely funding solution to serve those homes will be through the Broadband Equity and Deployment (BEAD) and Stop Gap Funding Programs which has the goal of reaching 100% of unserved and underserved homes. The County will also pursue Stop Gap funding to address the gap between the original Lumos contract passing count of 6,370 and the revised passing count of 5,852. The funding process for the BEAD and Stop Gap programs is expected to begin in Fall 2025. County staff will provide updates as more details become available. The agreements and this proposed amendment are between Orange County and North State Communications Advanced Services, LLC, which remains the same legal entity named in the original contracts. Although the company operates under the `Lumos' brand and has been publicly reported as acquired by T-Mobile, the contractual obligations, stipulations, and enforcement provisions remain fully applicable and binding on the same legal entity. FINANCIAL IMPACT: This amendment revises the timing of the final $6 million ARPA payment to Lumos. It does not change the contract amount. ALIGNMENT WITH STRATEGIC PLAN: This item supports: • GOAL 5: PUBLIC EDUCATION/LEARNING COMMUNITY OBJECTIVE 2. Improve school readiness and educational outcomes by providing access, training, tools, technology, and other resources needed to thrive. OBJECTIVE 3. Provide support for workforce development through training, tools, technology, and other resources. • GOAL 6: DIVERSE AND VIBRANT ECONOMY OBJECTIVE 5. Increase access to and awareness of resources and assistance available to residents and businesses. OBJECTIVE 6. Provide workforce and business development resources to enhance the skills of residents of the County. • GOAL 2: HEALTHY COMMUNITY OBJECTIVE 7. Invest in services and programs that improve the health and quality of life of the community (e.g., recreation and public open spaces, arts, etc.) RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board consider this amendment and, if approved, authorize the Manager to execute the amendment and any other related documents.