$7.9 Million in Broadband Expansion Projects Planned for Rural Virginia
by Rachel Smith
Lynchburg, Va. - Three counties in the Lynchburg area were among 14 in rural Virginia that on Thursday were awarded a total of $7,909,964 by the Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Region Commission to expand broadband services.
Bedford County was awarded $670,500 for its broadband project, Appomattox was awarded $600,000 for its Pamplin Area Fiber Broadband Project and Campbell County was awarded $156,313 for its 2019 Last Mile Broadband Southeast Project.
The grant comes one day after Comcast announced it would begin extending broadband services to more than 7,000 addresses in Smith Mountain Lake through a $3.5 million Last Mile Broadband Grant the tobacco commission gave the company in 2018.
Blido said the Bedford County Board of Supervisors is matching the total of the new grant and the VATI grant of $1,710,500 to provide internet services to all of Bedford County.
“This is an exciting day for Bedford County and rural Virginia,” Blido said. “We’re thrilled to get this funding that will help us build out broadband in Bedford County.”
Click here to read the full article and learn how the funds will be spent.