Loudoun County Communications Commission Meeting - December 4, 2024

The Loudoun County Communications Commission met to approve routine items, welcome new Ashburn Commissioner Bert Green, receive franchisee updates, review Virginia Telecommunications Initiative (VATI) broadband progress, and discuss the future role of wireless technology in the county. Note: the agenda and raw transcript identify the meeting as Monday, December 2, 2024, while the provided meeting timestamp says 2024-12-04; this summary follows the provided date.

Consent Calendar

• The commission unanimously approved the agenda as presented.
• The commission unanimously approved the October 28, 2024 meeting minutes as drafted; no written copy of those minutes was included in the provided source materials. A commissioner asked how email correspondence is captured, and the chair/secretary explained that formal actions must be brought to a future meeting for official adoption, while information exchanges are subject to FOIA.

Introductions and Public Comment

• New Ashburn District Commissioner Bert Green was introduced and welcomed; current commissioners and staff briefly introduced themselves.
• No public commenters signed up or spoke.

Franchisee Updates

• Comcast: Dexter Williams, Senior Manager of Government Affairs for the Beltway Region, reported no official updates, said he has been working with staff on issues, and offered to take questions. No commission questions were raised.
• Verizon: Staff reported they are still trying to coordinate with the new Verizon representative; no update was presented.

Staff Report: VATI Broadband Update

• The VATI grant project is expected to connect its first subscriber before the end of 2024 near Hillsborough. The project covers 8,629 formerly unserved addresses, mostly in Catocton and Little River districts.
• The first tranche includes 63 or 64 home addresses, with one known request for service so far. County permits have been approved; the cabinet pad was poured before the holiday, and Segra is expected to connect the cabinet by mid-December.
• The Dominion Energy memorandum of understanding for middle-mile fiber through towns has not been finalized since late October; two are closer to completion and one remains outstanding.
• Staff said the broadband definition at the time of the 2022 application was 25/3 Mbps and has since changed to 100/20 Mbps. Commissioner Patrick Ryan asked whether 90-day notices had been mailed and cautioned that a year-end connection could be more ceremonial than a true start to construction.
• A February 2025 update is planned, with more detailed metrics expected.

Discussion: Wireless Alternatives and Project Oversight

• Commissioner Tom Saltero questioned whether the fiber-first VATI approach is still the most cost-effective and timely way to serve rural residents given 5G fixed wireless options, and asked whether the county could pivot or redirect funds.
• Staff and other commissioners responded that the contract is already awarded and funds are being spent; Loudoun County contributed $12 million to the roughly $70 million project but will own no infrastructure and is essentially a subsidy. County CIO Nate Wentlin said pivoting mid-project would likely kill the project, ARPA dollars are tied to it, and VATI is no longer available as a program. The project has already been delayed 15 months, pushing completion to October 2025.
• Commissioner Patrick Ryan raised concerns about past schedule messaging, saying All Points Broadband appeared to give the commission and board conflicting information. Staff said the county is not the project program manager, receives limited data from All Points and Dominion, and roughly $2 million has been released so far.
• Commissioner Scott Farber noted political and school-board opposition to new cell towers, including a Woodgrove-area tower built but not allowed to deploy, and cautioned against assuming wireless is a simple substitute for fiber.
• Commissioners discussed making wireless coverage gaps and competition a future focus, using tools beyond funding such as zoning, permitting, right-of-way access, and advocacy to the Board of Supervisors.

Action Items and New Business

• No formal action items were recorded from the prior meeting; staff will circulate the outstanding action-item list for review in January.
• LCPS representative Aaron Smith reported that the Comcast HD channel is now available with a six-month SD overlay, and the Verizon channel is expected by late January.
• Staff provided a BEAD program update: Loudoun County is not the applicant; ISPs apply directly to DHCD. The county can provide letters of support worth about 10 percent of an application score, and Comcast, All Points, and Verizon have expressed interest.
• Commissioners briefly discussed e-rate, with county staff noting a 50 percent reimbursement on eligible internet costs, and the county-managed public-safety LMR system with FirstNet as backup.
• The chair reminded members about FOIA best practices for commissioner email accounts and said officer elections will be held at the next meeting.

Key Outcomes

• Agenda and October 28, 2024 minutes approved unanimously.
• No public comment was received and no formal action items were assigned.
• First VATI subscriber connection is expected before the end of 2024; a February 2025 update with dashboard-style progress metrics is planned.
• The next meeting is scheduled for January 27, 2025; the commission may use up to three virtual meetings per year.
• Chair and vice-chair elections will take place at the January meeting.
• The meeting adjourned.