Cox files protest over Escambia County's (FL) selection of EREC for broadband network

Cox Communications has filed a formal protest over Escambia County’s (FL) decision to select the Escambia River Electric Cooperative for a rural broadband project. In a letter sent to the county's purchasing manager, attorneys for Cox argued the county deviated from its selection process outlined in its request for proposal (RFP) for the construction of a fiber optic internet network in unserved areas of the county, and the decision to select EREC violated the county's purchasing policies. Cox also argued the county was supposed to notify all interested parties of any substantial or procedural changes to the selection process. Escambia County voted during a special meeting to select EREC for a $6 million award under the proposal and change its project area to match EREC's service area. EREC is the primary electric utility for most of the northern half of Escambia County. Escambia County has set aside $22 million from its federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for broadband infrastructure, with $10 million for the northern half of the county and $12 million for the southern half.