Va. invests $722M in broadband expansion

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam this week announced a state investment of $722 million in grants toward expanding high-speed internet service in 70 localities across the commonwealth. The governor says the funding will help Virginia achieve 90% of its universal broadband access goal by 2024.

“Broadband access impacts every facet of our daily lives, from education to business to health care,” Northam said in a statement. “It’s a necessity for navigating today’s digital world, and this new funding will close Virginia’s digital divide with universal broadband by 2024.”

Early in his administration, Northam had set a 2028 goal for Virginia to achieve universal broadband access, but this summer he accelerated the goal by four years, saying Virginia would spend about $700 million of its $4.3 billion in federal pandemic relief funding on broadband expansion, an issue that became even more relevant during the pandemic as workplaces and schools moved online and remote work became ubiquitous.

The newly announced grants are through the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development’s Virginia Telecommunication Initiative, funded from the American Rescue Plan Act, and will support 35 projects, connecting more than 278,000 Virginia homes and businesses to high-speed internet, Northam announced Monday.

The Virginia Telecommunications Initiative received 57 applications from 84 localities partnering with 25 internet service providers, requesting more than $943 million in funding.

Here are the awards and amounts matched in the latest round of funding:

Northern Shenandoah Valley Regional Commission and All Points Broadband

• $95.3 million award
• $190.76 million leveraged
• The project will extend fiber broadband to 37,357 unserved locations and achieve universal coverage in Augusta, Clarke, Fauquier, Frederick, Page, Rappahannock, Rockingham and Warren counties.

West Piedmont Planning District Commission and RiverStreet Networks

• $87.01 million award
• $65.42 million leveraged
• The project will extend fiber broadband to 24,641 unserved locations and achieve universal coverage in Amelia, Bedford, Campbell, Charlotte, Nottoway and Pittsylvania Counties when combined with other projects.

Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission and Firefly

• $79.03 million award
• $208.97 million leveraged
• The project will extend fiber broadband to 36,283 unserved locations and achieve universal coverage in Albemarle, Amherst, Appomattox, Buckingham, Campbell, Cumberland, Fluvanna, Goochland, Greene, Louisa, Madison, Nelson and Powhatan counties when combined with other projects. The project was supported by CSX through the Commonwealth Connect Fund.

Southside Planning District Commission and EMPOWER Broadband

• $69.43 million award
• $84.68 million leveraged
• The project will extend fiber broadband to 11,527 unserved locations and achieve universal coverage in Brunswick, Charlotte, Halifax, and Mecklenburg Counties when combined with other projects.

New River Valley Regional Commission and Gigabeam and All Points Broadband

• $68,355,355 award
• $67,370,008  leveraged
• The project will extend fiber broadband to 19,966 unserved locations and achieve universal coverage in Bland, Montgomery and Pulaski Counties

Mount Rogers Planning District Commission and Point Broadband

• $65,883,228 award
• $33,052,600 leveraged
• The project will extend fiber broadband to 27,450 unserved locations and achieve universal coverage in Smyth, Washington and Wythe counties

West Piedmont Planning District Commission and RiverStreet Networks

• $33,571,073 award
• $61,794,113 leveraged
• The project will extend fiber broadband to 10,056 unserved locations and achieve universal coverage in Franklin, Henry, and Patrick Counties when combined with other projects.

Cumberland Plateau Planning District Commission and Point Broadband

• $23,478,429 award
• $6.459 million leveraged
• The project will extend fiber broadband to 5,828 unserved locations and achieve universal coverage in Buchanan, Dickenson, Russell and Tazewell Counties.

LENOWISCO Planning District Commission and Scott County Telephone Cooperative

• $22,190,500 award
• $6,354,500 leveraged
• The project will extend fiber broadband to 10,982 unserved locations and achieve universal coverage in Lee, Wise and Scott Counties.

Hampton Roads Planning District Commission and Charter Communications

• $21,120,053.50 award
• $13,839,522,50 leveraged
• The project will extend fiber broadband to 12,223 unserved locations and achieve universal coverage in the city of Suffolk, Isle of Wight, and Southampton Counties. The project was supported by Primis Bank through the Commonwealth Connect Fund.

Loudoun County and All Points Broadband

• $17.524 million award
• $42.38 million leveraged
• The project will extend fiber broadband to 8,629 unserved locations and achieve universal coverage in Loudoun County.

Commonwealth Regional Council and Kinex

• $15 million award
• $12.45 million leveraged
• The project will extend fiber broadband to 11,397 unserved locations and achieve universal coverage in Cumberland, Lunenburg and Prince Edward Counties when combined with other projects.

Hanover County and All Points Broadband

• $13.97 million award
• $41.47 million leveraged
• The project will extend fiber broadband to 6,198 unserved locations and achieve universal coverage in Hanover County. The project was supported by Primis Bank through the Commonwealth Connect Fund.

Eastern Shore of Virginia Broadband Authority

• $12.31 million award
• $3.31 million leveraged
• The project will extend fiber broadband to 11,091 unserved locations and achieve universal coverage in Accomack and Northampton counties.

Shenandoah County and Shentel

• $12.177 million award
• $20.73 million leveraged
• The project will extend fiber broadband to 4,139 unserved locations and achieve universal coverage in Shenandoah County.

Franklin County and Shentel

• $9.83 million award
• $14.72 million leveraged
• The project will extend fiber and wireless broadband to 3,508 unserved locations and achieve universal coverage in Franklin County when combined with other projects.

Bedford County and Shentel

• $8.64 million award
• $17.55 million leveraged
• The project will extend fiber and wireless broadband to 5,565 unserved locations and achieve universal coverage in Bedford County when combined with other projects.

Bedford County and ZiTEL

• $8.52 million award
• $10.2 million leveraged
• The project will extend fiber broadband to 4,114 unserved locations and achieve universal coverage in Bedford County when combined with other projects.

Culpeper County and All Points Broadband

• $8.6 million award
• $21.91 million leveraged
• The project will extend fiber broadband to 4,269 unserved locations and achieve universal coverage in Culpeper County.

Bath-Highland Network Authority and MGW

• $7.88 million award
• $3.11 million leveraged
• The project will extend fiber broadband to 2,470 unserved locations and achieve universal coverage in Bath and Highland Counties.

Dinwiddie County and RURALBAND

• $7.53 million award
• $13.12 million leveraged
• The project will extend fiber broadband to 1,622 unserved locations and achieve universal coverage in Dinwiddie County. The project was supported by the Cameron Foundation through the Commonwealth Connect Fund.

Campbell County and Shentel

• $5.44 million award
• $10.11 million leveraged
• The project will extend fiber and wireless broadband to 3,509 unserved locations and achieve universal coverage in Campbell County when combined with other projects.

King William County and All Points Broadband

• $5.4 million award
• $12.33 million leveraged
• The project will extend fiber broadband to 2,236 unserved locations and achieve universal coverage in King William County. The project was supported by Primis Bank through the Commonwealth Connect Fund.

Sussex County and RURALBAND

• $4.89 million award
• $1.68 million leveraged
• The project will extend fiber broadband to 2,267 unserved locations and achieve universal coverage in Sussex County. The project was supported by the Cameron Foundation through the Commonwealth Connect Fund.

Stafford County and Comcast

• $3.39 million award
• $2.36 million leveraged
• The project will extend fiber broadband to 634 unserved locations and achieve universal coverage in Stafford County.

Northern Neck Planning District Commission and All Points Broadband

• $3.19 million award
• $20.48 million leveraged
• The project will extend fiber broadband to 3,411 unserved locations and achieve universal coverage in King George, Lancaster, and Northumberland Counties.

Botetourt County and Lumos

• $3.08 million award
• $4.82 million leveraged
• The project will extend fiber broadband to 1,901 unserved locations and achieve universal coverage in Botetourt County.

Middlesex County and All Points Broadband

• $2.05 million award
• $8.45 million leveraged
• The project will extend fiber broadband to 970 unserved locations and achieve universal coverage in Middlesex County.

Roanoke County and Craig Botetourt Electric Cooperative

• $1.58 million award
• $1.64 million leveraged
• The project will extend fiber broadband to 495 unserved locations and achieve universal coverage in Roanoke County when combined with other projects.

Roanoke County and Cox Communications

• $1.54 million award
• $1.59 million leveraged
• The project will extend fiber broadband to 396 unserved locations and achieve universal coverage in Roanoke County when combined with other projects.

Roanoke County and Shentel

• $490,000 award
• $510,000 leveraged
• The project will extend fiber broadband to 213 unserved locations and achieve universal coverage in Roanoke County when combined with other projects.

Roanoke County and B2X Online

• $170,609 award
• $177,572 leveraged
• The project will build a wireless broadband network to connect 290 locations and achieve universal coverage in Roanoke County when combined with other projects.

West Piedmont Planning District Commission and Charter Communications

• $1.42 million award
• $2.12 million leveraged
• The project will extend fiber broadband to 690 unserved locations and achieve universal coverage in Patrick County when combined with other projects.

Floyd County and Citizens

• $1.31 million award
• $1.11 million leveraged
• The project will extend fiber broadband to 723 unserved locations and achieve universal coverage in Floyd County.

City of Chesapeake and Cox Communications

• $580,435 award
• $434,559 leveraged
• The project will extend fiber broadband to 279 unserved locations and achieve universal coverage in the city of Chesapeake.