CUMBERLAND – The County's Supervisors granted an easement to Mid-Atlantic Broadband Corporation for the installation of a fiber optic telecommunications hut in Cumberland during a recent Board of Supervisors meeting.

According to Greg Baka, director of community and economic development, Mid-Atlantic Broadband already provides fiber-optic cables along a portion of Route 60 from Buckingham County in to Cumberland.

It serves a portion of the County with high-speed Internet but a telecommunications hut is needed, he said, about every 15 to 25 miles throughout Mid-Atlantic Corporation's territory in order to provide the “backbone” high-speed Internet service to the rural localities in the surrounding coverage area.

Baka also noted to the Supervisors that the telecommunications hut, once constructed by Mid-Atlantic Broadband, would be unmanned and equipped with keypads for entry.

The proposed location, he said, for the easement on which the hut would be located is on land owned by Cumberland County adjacent to the Poor House Road right-of-way and adjacent to the property line with the Cumberland County Industrial Park.

“Placing the telecommunications hut near the entrance of the County's Industrial Park would be a visual sign that high-speed Internet is easily available for customers and future business prospects,” added Baka.

“As far as the broadband access, is it going to be available primarily in the Courthouse district?” asked Supervisor Lloyd Banks, District Two.

According to Baka, the fiber optic telecommunications capability provided by Mid-Atlantic would extend capability outside of the immediate corridor area.

After his presentation, the Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution authorizing Chairman David Meinhard, District Four, to enter into an agreement to grant “at no cost a permanent and perpetual easement not to exceed 50 by 50 feet” for Mid-Atlantic Broadband Cooperative to construct a telecommunications hut that would provide the necessary equipment to support an open-access fiber broadband system “that will help foster future business development.”

Cumberland County Attorney, Howard Estes, noted, “This specific issue with Mid-Atlantic Broadband, they'll be in a place then for ISPs (internet service providers) to be able to step in and access through that hut along the fiber all along Route 60 then to be able to start providing service. It's a tremendous asset for the county.”

In updated information, Baka noted that the County has secured survey services with a surveyor to produce a plat showing the easement for Mid-Atlantic Broadband Cooperative at the County's maintenance facility and is working through “final easement issues” with Mid-Atlantic Broadband Cooperative to install the telecommunications hut at the County's maintenance facility.