By Matt de Simone
Botetourt County households now have an opportunity to experience the power of fiber-optic Internet. The 2020 pandemic limited many local citizens from attending events and vacations. While many struggled to transition into a new way of life, Botetourt County administrators worked diligently to provide the community with a chance of obtaining a resource that many households and businesses in the surrounding areas have yet to encounter. The Fincastle Herald gives subscribers a closer look at the process of building a “backbone” of fiber-optic lines across Botetourt County. In this seventh and final installment of the series, Virginia’s chief broadband advisor share his thoughts on the project and citizens’ patience awaiting their access to fiber-optic broadband.
Connecting the remaining citizens in need
With the help of a pair of grants, Botetourt County received at the end of 2020 (Fast-Track Broadband Grant) and the beginning of 2021(VATI Grant) allows providers in the county to stretch the broadband reach into more homes.
The early goals indicate that new fiber services will reach more addresses later this year and even more by the end of 2022 with the help from providers like Craig-Botetourt Electrical Co-op (CBEC) and LUMOS. Botetourt County continues to work with the Roanoke Valley Broadband Authority as the expansion continues.
While providers have built up a lot of the groundwork, there is still work ahead in this process. As Botetourt’s broadband expansion continues, many households in the Botetourt County area have yet to gain access to fiber-optic broadband.
Two state officials see the need for broadband expansion in Botetourt and know the market in many rural areas of Virginia. Evan Feinman is the Chief Broadband Advisor for the Office of the Governor and well aware of the process of broadband expansion.
Gov. Northam created Feinman’s position in 2018 when Northam announced the goal of “universal broadband” access by 2028. He sent Feinman’s office the tasks of scoping the problems, developing the plans to get universal coverage, and managing the interagency efforts to implement that plan.
The governor’s broadband advisors don’t direct expansions. Their work proceeds along three tracks, according to Feinman. The first track consists of making policy changes.
“We don’t direct where expansions happen from Richmond,” Feinman stated in a recent phone interview. “The work we do proceeds along three tracks. The first track is making policy changes within the executive branch and partner with the legislature to change specific laws. Their second category of work is working to support local and regional planning efforts.
“I would say the ‘secret sauce’ of our program is contrary to the way the feds do it,” Feinman explained. “We make sure local government has a seat at the table so that it isn’t just the Internet service providers (ISP) in the driver’s seat. Public aims are accomplished as well.”
The third track is grant-making, which Botetourt County received at the end of 2020 and beginning of 2021.
“Connecting a disconnected Virginian in one community is just as important as connecting a disconnected citizen in another,” Feinman continued. “We have to get to everybody. The degree to which we do prioritization is when we’re selecting which grants to administer. Usually, that’s more about the strength of a specific project.”
The Commonwealth supported a new broadband connection to more than 140,000 homes and businesses during the Northam administration. Feinman revealed that there is still a $50 million grant round to disperse throughout the state and whatever additional federal dollars the state receives.
Out of the 140 counties and cities in the state, Feinman believes there are still 120 that contain areas without broadband access. His offices understand the need and continue to work with local governments and their local providers to continue expanding universal broadband throughout the state.
“There are lots of folks who still need access,” Feinman added. “I completely understand why somebody might skim a news piece about an expansion in February of 2021, and then come February 2022, they wonder, ‘where is the service?’ The answer is: they’re still building. I completely understand the frustrations of someone who doesn’t want to wait.
“We should be grateful that this was a priority for Gov. Northam before the COVID pandemic,” Feinman continued. “I have colleagues in other states that didn’t turn their attention to solving their broadband problems and are now years behind Virginia—which is one of the top states in the country in terms of state broadband programs. We’re going to finish the governor’s goal of universal coverage ahead of schedule.”
The backbone of broadband exists in Botetourt. While many citizens have yet to better connect to broadband services, patience will allow LUMOS and other providers time to find these homes and businesses. Soon, Botetourt County will have connectivity options that surrounding communities will not see for some time. Hopefully, this series provided a look around the different people and providers working to bring Botetourt closer to other regions of the state that make up one of the most well-connected states in the country.
For more information about Botetourt’s broadband expansion and a detailed map of what’s to come, visit bocobroadband.info.
