When will broadband internet be available for all of Prince Edward County? That\u2019s been a question ever since Kinex started their current project. And part of that delay has been due to funding. Now Prince Edward, along with other nearby counties, are in line to get some support from a state plan.\u00a0<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, Aug. 6, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced a plan totaling $613 million to connect the last 133,500 Virginia locations where high-speed internet service is not available.<\/p>\n
A seven-day public comment period on the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development\u2019s Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment Final Proposal continues through midnight Wednesday, Aug. 13. Once approved, the plan will be submitted to the U.S. Department of Commerce\u2019s National Telecommunications and Information Administration for its review and approval.<\/p>\n
DHCD spokesman Todd Weinstein said Friday that the BEAD proposal will be submitted as soon as the public comment period ends.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is not a known timeline for their consideration and approval at this time,\u201d Weinstein said.<\/p>\n
Once approved, however, operations in Prince Edward, Charlotte and Lunenburg counties could see the grant funds needed to reach the remaining potential customers without access to high-speed broadband.<\/p>\n
Splitting the broadband funding<\/p>\n
The BEAD proposal recommends funding of $397,174 in Prince Edward County, $508,506 in Charlotte County and $621,593 in Lunenburg County.<\/p>\n
Prince Edward County Administrator Doug Stanley said broadband deployment is crucial to the future success of any community including Prince Edward.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMuch like the delivery of electric service to rural Virginia in the early 20th\u00a0Century, availability of broadband is a critical need for our citizens,\u201d Stanley explained.\u00a0\u201cWe found this out firsthand during COVID when our students could not learn from home because they did not have adequate access.\u201d<\/p>\n
Under the plan, Kinex, now part of Planet Networks, would receive the largest share of funds for Prince Edward at $343,324, while SpaceX would receive $53,250 and Amazon Kuiper Commercial Services $600.<\/p>\n
Stanley said he hopes this will help with deployment to the more rural areas of the county.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are in the third year of a four-plus year project with Kinex to provide the unserved areas of the county with fiber, but it is always good to provide options and have competition,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Stanley said the southern and southeast portions of Prince Edward County still need fiber optic service installed.<\/p>\n
\u201cOver the next 12-18 months we are hoping these will be completed by Planet Networks,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
What about Charlotte County?<\/p>\n
In Charlotte County, River Street Networks would see BEAD grant funds of $467,839, while SpaceX would see $36,000, Empower $3,467 and Amazon Kuiper Commercial Services $1,200.<\/p>\n
Charlotte County Administrator Landon Green said this initiative is a helpful step forward for rural areas such as Charlotte County.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf approved, this money will help open doors to economic opportunity, remote learning, telehealth services and much more,\u201d Green explained.<\/p>\n
He said the county has made great strides toward providing broadband access throughout the county using federal and state grant programs as well as local funding.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe proposed funding would provide service to 350 additional locations in Charlotte County that have been identified as unserved or underserved,\u201d Green said.\u00a0\u201cThe fact that there are only 350 locations reflects the progress we are making but also demonstrates the need for additional funding.\u201d<\/p>\n
The funding included for Charlotte in the BEAD proposal is based on broadband mapping that shows unserved areas and allows county residents to provide feedback about its accuracy.<\/p>\n
\u201cI applaud Governor Youngkin\u2019s commitment to expanding broadband access to every residence, business and community center across the commonwealth,\u201d Green said. \u201cIn today\u2019s digital age, reliable internet access is not a luxury \u2014 it\u2019s a necessity for education, healthcare, business, and staying connected with the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lunenburg gets the most help\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lunenburg County would see the largest sum of the three under the BEAD proposal with Kinex receiving $584,393, River Street Networks $4,950 and SpaceX $32,250.<\/p>\n
County Administrator Tracy Gee was out of the office and unavailable for comment on the plan before deadline.<\/p>\n
Weinstein explained what this investment in high-speed broadband can mean for the three counties.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a product of prior state and federal broadband expansion investments, construction is already underway across these three counties from a multitude of internet service providers, including Empower Broadband, Kinex Telecom and RiverStreet Networks,\u201d he said. \u201cThese counties are well ahead of their peers across the nation thanks to strong local leadership and internet service provider participation in previous state and federal grant programs. The BEAD program will fill in the remaining gaps in these counties that were not included in previous federal and state broadband expansion projects.\u201d<\/p>\n
ISPs participating in the BEAD program are required to provide a 25% match of funds for the grant money they receive.<\/p>\n
Building broadband for everyone<\/p>\n
In making the BEAD Final Proposal announcement, Youngkin explained it is part of his administration\u2019s efforts to make high-speed broadband available to everyone.<\/p>\n
\u201cDay one, we made a promise to connect all Virginia homes and businesses to reliable, high-speed internet, and these grants, once approved, will fund the last step to keeping that promise,\u201d\u00a0Youngkin said.\u00a0\u201cAll Virginians should be proud that we are the nation\u2019s leader in broadband connections, having built 3.5 times more connections in the past four years than any other state. And with the new rules approved by Secretary (Howard) Lutnick that cut red tape, we are able to do it while saving $200 million taxpayer dollars, a 25 percent savings.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Under the new \u201cBenefit of the Bargain\u201d grant application process at the U.S. Department of Commerce, Virginia received double the applications, showing robust interest in the program\u2019s streamlined requirements established by the Trump Administration, the news release explained. Through the partnership, Virginia will connect all unserved homes and businesses while also controlling costs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When Youngkin took office in 2022, there were 435,924 customers left unserved in Virginia, according to a governor\u2019s office news release. With a combination of federal and state resources, the state has funded connections to all customers statewide except 133,500 remaining customers. The plan published for public comment would bring that number to zero.<\/p>\n