PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — R.I. Commerce Corp. officials lambasted Cox Communications Tuesday after the telecommunications giant filed a lawsuit against the McKee administration over the rollout of a $108 million plan to expand high-speed internet.
The state’s leading broadband company filed the lawsuit Monday in R.I. Superior Court, accusing state officials of using inaccurate data for maps that show where high-speed internet is accessible across the state.
Cox attorneys argued the faulty data could result in the state inappropriately spending the funds — awarded through the U.S. Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program — on future broadband infrastructure in affluent areas of the state where it already exists.
Commerce spokesperson Matthew Touchette fired back Tuesday, saying Cox failed to participate in the planning process and didn’t raise concerns during the appropriate time. He described the state’s plan as being “built on fairness, transparency, and a commitment to maximizing the impact of this historic federal investment.”