Botetourt County announced last Wednesday that it has reached a major milestone in its long-term effort to bring reliable, high-speed internet to all corners of the county. Internet service providers have been awarded $12.8 million through the Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program to extend service to more than 1,000 currently unserved locations. Once completed, the BEAD-funded projects are expected to bring Fiber to the Home (FTTH) access to roughly 96% of county addresses.
In its social media post, the county described the award as the latest chapter in a broadband initiative that began in 2017 with the creation of the Broadband Commission and a survey identifying service gaps.
Since then, the county has advanced toward countywide connectivity through state and federal grants, local partnerships and community advocacy. Board of Supervisors members Mac Scothorn and Amy White have championed broadband expansion as a critical priority for Botetourt families, schools and businesses, the recent post explained.
BEAD Funding Breakdown
- Comcast – $12.7 million for FTTH service to 859 locations
- Amazon Kuiper – $79,000 for low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite service to 132 locations
- SpaceX – $25,000 for LEO satellite service to 47 locations
Next Steps
- Late 2025–Early 2026: Federal approval and contract negotiations
- 2026–2029: Construction of broadband infrastructure
Botetourt County’s Broadband Journey
- 2017: Broadband Commission established; community survey conducted
- 2018: Broadband summit held; countywide FTTH goal adopted
- 2019: $758,000 VATI award to CBEC for 621 locations
- 2021: $1.3 million VATI award to Lumos for 548 locations
- 2022: $3.08 million VATI award to Lumos for 1,901 locations
- 2024: $395,000 VATI award to Comcast for 62 locations
- 2025: $12.8 million BEAD award for 1,038 locations
More information about Botetourt County’s broadband initiatives is available at botetourtva.gov/broadband.
~ Fincastle Herald staff report
