The Virginia Coalfield Coalition granted conditional consent Wednesday for Sunset Digital Communications to acquire the OptiNet network but gave operational control of the wireless phone network it oversees to another firm.
Sunset’s attorney said those terms would likely kill the deal.
The coalition board voted 8-3 to allow Sunset to proceed with its plans to acquire and operate BVU Authority’s fiber-optic network for $50 million. However the VCC board’s resolution also gives full operational control of its $14 million cell tower network to Scott County Telephone Cooperative, which already operates 16 towers in Scott, Lee and Wise counties. BVU operates 22 towers in Buchanan, Dickenson, Russell and Tazewell counties.
