Suffolk, Isle of Wight and Southampton counties will receive more than $21.1 million in universal broadband work through the Virginia Telecom Program Grant Program.

This is part of a $2 billion grant transaction announced by Governor Ralph Northam in Gochland County on December 13th, which he said will bring high-speed internet to 90% of state residents and enable Virginia to "go "On the right track", becoming one of the first states to provide high-speed Internet. Universal broadband access.

Private and local investment exceeds 1 billion U.S. dollars. In addition, the state has invested more than 846 million U.S. dollars, with another 722 million U.S. dollars as part of the latest announcement.

The Western Tidewater grant is part of a joint VATI application by the Hampton Roads Planning District Committee, Charter Communications and the three places. With the addition of funds from each locality and charter, they will have an extra 14.5 US dollars for universal broadband access-6.7 million US dollars in three places and 7.8 million US dollars in the charter.

The regional project, supported by Primis Bank through the Commonwealth Connect Fund, will build fiber-optic broadband for 12,223 unserviced locations and cover Suffolk, the Isle of Wight and Southampton. The VATI grant leverages Charter’s existing services in the field of rural digital opportunity funds. The VATI application requires nearly USD 22.8 million.

As part of the transaction, the committee will be the financial agent for the project and the liaison between the local, charter, and state housing and community development departments, which are responsible for handling the VATI program. At the same time, Charter will provide the committee with any information needed to manage the appropriations, including progress reports and monthly invoices, and must provide the place with any documents required for zoning and permit applications.

Charter will design, design, and build broadband services as outlined in the VATI application, and will ensure that the minimum bandwidth products are not lower than the broadband defined by the Federal Communications Commission on the project start date. The company will also own all expenses paid through the VATI grant.

The service will provide four symmetrical Internet speed grades-30/4 Mbps (megabits per second upload/download speed), 200/10 Mbps, 400/20 Mbps and 1,000/500 Mbps, no data cap, monthly The service price is respectively 17.99 US dollars (eligible housing), 74.99 US dollars, 94.99 US dollars and 134.99 US dollars.

The monthly rate of $17.99 is part of Charter's Spectrum Internet Assist program, which applies to families with one or more members participating in the national school lunch program, including those who pass the community eligibility clause or the supplementary security income for those who are at least 65 years old. Families in this plan get free internet modems, no data caps, and no contracts are required.

The VATI application stated that it is expected that about 79% of the households and businesses it passes will receive broadband services, and it is expected that the proportion based on marketing and promotion work will be higher.

The charter and each locality plan to host at least three town hall events "in the most affected communities."

Northam announced the establishment of a new fund in November, and Primis Bank, Facebook, Dominion Energy and the Cameron Foundation pledged to provide more than $1.5 million in funding for this work.

Local, Charter, and HRPDC considered funding as a regional initiative and established a steering committee in the spring of 2021 to provide broadband services in unserviced areas.

According to VATI’s application, the committee joined the steering committee so it can “integrate local efforts into the Universal Broadband Regional Plan, promote partnerships to increase availability and take advantage of the opportunities provided by submarine cables to Virginia Beach and Central South The mile area fiber optic ring being developed by the Network Administration."

They not only mentioned the lack of broadband services, but also the economic development benefits of broadband services in terms of increasing access to health care, education, and labor development opportunities, which will also help small and family businesses and their logistics close to the Port of Virginia The industry, defense industry and other industries are looking for vacant land and commercial space, as well as broadband access. The application also states that more than 500 farmers in the Western Tidewater area will be able to take full advantage of the potential of the new equipment, increase efficiency and allow remote access to service providers.

Northam pointed out that as the coronavirus pandemic highlights the emerging and urgent need to provide high-speed internet in all areas of the state, the state has advanced federal, state, local and private sector investment in the past four years.

"Broadband access affects every aspect of our daily lives, from education to business to healthcare," Northam said. "This is a necessary condition to navigate today's digital world, and this new funding will narrow the digital divide in Virginia through universal broadband by 2024."

The announcement stated that in the past four years, the state has invested more than $846 million to connect more than 429,000 homes, businesses and other entities to broadband.

Since Northam took office in 2018, Virginia has taken major initiatives in broadband. Prior to this, Virginia's broadband plan invested only US$4 million per year, and 660,000 Virginians could not use high-speed Internet.

"Virginia and the VATI plan continue to be a national model for bridging the digital divide, and today's announcement cements our success," said Brian Ball, Secretary of Commerce and Trade. "This round of grants will connect more than 278,550 homes/businesses to the high-speed Internet, ensuring that more communities throughout the Commonwealth have access to the necessities of modern life."

VATI plans to provide funding to expand broadband services in underserved areas and select projects through a competitive process. The evaluation of the project is to prove the needs and interests of the community, the applicant's willingness and ability to carry out the project, as well as the cost and amount of guarantee for it. The amount of funding for this project depends on the infrastructure needs of the area.

VATI received 57 applications from 84 regions cooperating with 25 Internet service providers.

According to the VATI application, Charter is interested in working with the Southside Network Authority to utilize its fiber optic network that will reach Suffolk, and on behalf of all three places, Suffolk is working to establish a partnership with Dominion Energy to help obtain a license or Meet any other requirements of the utility company.

Shentel will also add to Suffolk’s broadband product portfolio, and the City Council approved a three-year right-of-way license agreement to allow the Edinburgh-based company (more formally known as Shenandoah Cable TV LLC) to operate And install its Glo Fiber network in the city.

In July, Suffolk outlined a plan to spend US$8 million in the U.S. Rescue Plan Act to improve the city’s broadband infrastructure-US$5 million for the first phase of building a regional connection ring, and US$3 million for its VATI application. Part of the contribution.

In addition, Suffolk and Chart started a $2.2 million project—75% of which came from the city—to extend the broadband network to another 357 households in the city, which is expected to be completed this month.

Southside Network Authority stated that the minimum bid submitted by Cox Communications was nearly $18 million for the construction of regional fiber optic rings and temporary maintenance for up to three years. Danella Construction's bid followed close behind, approaching $24.6 million. Both bids were extended to at least January 15.