Dominion-Energy-pilot
Broadband Internet Pilot to Support Access to Healthcare, Jobs and Education for Thousands in Rural Virginia
– Projects in the Northern Neck, Surry and Botetourt counties will help bridge the digital divide in Virginia through partnerships with Internet Service Providers
– Pilot projects will help improve economic and education opportunities related to broadband access in unserved areas of Virginia, if approved
– Dominion Energy Virginia to serve as middle mile provider, enabled by the Grid Transformation & Security Act of 2018
PR Newswire
RICHMOND, Va., Oct. 9, 2020
RICHMOND, Va.
,
Oct. 9, 2020
/PRNewswire/ — Residents in rural parts of
Virginia
could gain access to broadband internet critical for jobs, healthcare and education under three pilot projects proposed
Oct. 1
by Dominion Energy Virginia.
Thanks to support from the Virginia General Assembly and collaboration with electric cooperatives and Internet Service Providers, the proposed Rural Broadband Pilot projects would extend broadband internet to citizens in
Surry County
,
Botetourt County
and the Northern Neck, if approved by the State Corporation Commission. The proposal includes nearly 300 miles of middle-mile fiber and would cost approximately
$29 million
to construct.
“With so many Virginians working and learning from home due to COVID-19, access to reliable internet is an absolute necessity,” said
Ed Baine
, president of Dominion Energy Virginia. “We hope these partnerships are the first of many, and we’re optimistic about how much these efforts could help communities here in our home state.”
More than 500,000 Virginians still live without easy access to high-speed internet. Extending broadband internet access would support economic development, social equity, public safety, educational opportunities, and healthcare services for citizens of the Commonwealth.
In rural areas, it’s not cost effective for Internet Service Providers to lay the fiber necessary to reach less-populated communities with broadband internet. Dominion Energy is in a unique position to help bridge the digital gap. The company is installing new infrastructure as it moves forward with efforts to transform
Virginia’s
energy grid. In the pilots, Dominion Energy Virginia is leveraging this pathway value and enabling Internet Service Providers to create broadband access for currently unserved rural communities in
Virginia
.
A recent State Council for Higher Education in
Virginia
(SCHEV) report showed nearly 20 percent of rural students lack broadband at home, compared to less than 10 percent of students living in urban areas. If approved, the pilot projects will help provide reliable internet for students learning virtually due to COVID-19. The pilots also will help enable access to telemedicine and other healthcare services for those in need.
“Access to high-speed broadband provides opportunities for our community to attract new businesses, create jobs, and increase the number of citizens with work-from-home capabilities,” said
Melissa Rollins
, County Administrator – Surry County. “This initiative is critical to setting up future generations for success.”
The three proposed pilot projects are the first the company has brought forward under the Grid Transformation & Security Act of 2018 and legislation patroned by Del.
Israel O’Quinn
in 2019. They also align with Governor Northam’s
$85 million
proposal to expand access to broadband for unserved communities.
-
Surry County
:
Dominion Energy proposes to install 43 miles of middle-mile fiber infrastructure. The company
has entered into a partnership
with Prince George Electric Cooperative (PGEC)’s Internet Service Provider subsidiary, RURALBAND, to provide high-speed internet access to unserved residents in rural areas of
Surry County
.
-
Botetourt County
: Dominion Energy proposes to install 34 miles of middle-mile fiber infrastructure, partnering with BARC Electric Cooperative and their BARC Connects Internet Service Provider to create access in unserved areas of
Botetourt County
.
-
Northern Neck
: Dominion Energy proposes to install approximately 217 miles of middle-mile fiber infrastructure. All Points Broadband, Dominion Energy Virginia, Northern Neck Electric Cooperative and the counties of
King George
,
Northumberland
,
Richmond
, and
Westmoreland
have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding
to advance a regional broadband partnership providing access to unserved households and business in the Northern Neck.
About Dominion Energy
More than
7 million customers in 20 states
energize their homes and businesses with electricity or natural gas from Dominion Energy (NYSE: D), headquartered in Richmond, Va. The company is
committed to sustainable, reliable, affordable and safe energy
and to achieving net zero carbon dioxide and methane emissions from its power generation and gas infrastructure operations by 2050. Please visit
DominionEnergy.com
to learn more.
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SOURCE Dominion Energy