Spectrum Launches Long-Awaited High-Speed Fiber Option for Western Flagler County

Charter Communications’ Spectrum, the internet, phone, cable television and wireless service company, last week launched high-speed internet and other services to more than 900 homes and small businesses in rural, western Flagler County.

The fiber-optic network is now available in Andalusia, Bimini and Daytona North, also known as the Mondex, reaching into areas of the county that had been chronically underserved but for satellite connections.




“The connectivity is well deserved, it ensures all our constituents access to high-speed internet,” County Commissioner Leann Pennington, whose district covers the west side, said. “So grateful to Spectrum to partner with us to finish this project out.” (See: “Between Jorge Salinas and Generous Federal Subsidies, Broadband May Finally Connect West Flagler By End of 2023.”)

The project in Flagler County is part of Spectrum’s approximately $5 billion national investment in unserved rural communities, offset by $1.2 billion in the federal government’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, itself a $20 billion plan to bridge the digital divide. Charter Communications won the opportunity to serve numerous locations in the federal government’s 2020 RDOF auction. (A few weeks ago, the company informed the FCC that it was surrendering about 2 percent of the so-called census block groups due to “unforseen circumstances that are beyond Charter’s control.” Those were in three Midwestern states.)

“Spectrum is bringing gigabit broadband to unserved communities in Florida and across America through RDOF,” said Charter Area Vice President Scott Stinson in a company release. “Our investment is making it possible to deliver the high-value broadband, mobile, TV and voice services now available in Flagler County. We are providing local residents and small businesses superior connectivity at highly competitive prices, backed by a team of skilled local technicians and 100% U.S.-based customer service.”




There are no modem fees, data caps or contracts. Spectrum Business Internet offers customers 1 Gbps download speeds, with 300 Mbps and 600 Mbps options. The company has also begun a network evolution that will provide gigabit upstream speeds and multiple gigabit download speeds across its entire 41-state service area.

Charter Senior Vice President Elizabeth Andrion, in the letter top the FCC, said the company in 2023 alone “delivered internet access to 295,000 new locations” in rural areas, “and an additional approximately 450,000 new locations are expected to be activated across the country in 2024. In fact, one component of Charter’s rural construction initiative, the RDOF build, is expected to be completed by the end of 2026 – two years ahead of schedule.”

In sum, the company’s RDOF expansion will provide broadband access to 1.3 million customer locations across 24 states. Spectrum also has a partnership with Flagler County to expand broadband access to additional homes and small businesses in the area. The federal plan to ensure connectivity is ongoing. (See: “With $1.2 Billion for Florida, Biden Unveils $42.5 Billion Plan to Connect All Americans to Broadband.”)




Broadband speeds up to 1 Gbps, plus money-saving Mobile options and 85,000 On Demand choices. Upload speeds are limited to 35 Mb for now, but Spectrum says “Symmetrical and multi-gigabit speeds are expected to be available across our entire service area in 2026.” Symertical means that upload and down load speeds–the option currently available through Metronet–will be equal.

It’s not cheap: Spectrum’s 300 Mb option is $50 a month for 12 months, $70 for the 500 Mb option, and $79 for the 1 Gig option. (In comparison, in Palm Coast, Metronet is offering service that begins with a 100 Mb option at $30, a 500 Mb option at $40, and a 1 Gb option at $50. The company also offers a 2 Gb option for $90 and a 5 Gb option “for a future-proof connected household” for $110. In that sense, underserved communities continue to have to pay steeper prices than better-served communities.

On the other hand, Spectrum offers Spectrum Internet Assist, available for some eligible subscribers who are 65 and older or who meet income-eligibility criteria, with costs in the $25 to $30 a month range, though not for the higher connectivity speeds. It is also not clear to what extent the subsidy for lower-income subscribers remains available now that the federal government’s aid has run out. Households began losing aid in April. In some regions, the program is available through May. Several bills have been introduced in Congress to extend the aid. None have passed. (See: “23 Million Americans Are Losing Federal Help to Pay for Internet, Reopening Digital Divide.”)

Spectrum says its internet service exceeded advertised download and upload speeds for all tiers measured — even during peak weeknight usage between 7 and 11 p.m. — according to the FCC’s most recent “Measuring Broadband America Fixed Broadband Report” issued in January 2023.

“High speed internet is essential for business, remote work, telehealth, and many other activities in modern society. For too long, rural areas like parts of Flagler County have been without access to broadband,” said Florida Speaker of the House Paul Renner. “Programs like RDOF and Spectrum’s local partnership with Flagler County improve connectivity in rural areas and help to bridge the digital divide.”