HENRICO COUNTY, Va. -- Henrico County is in the home stretch to get reliable internet to all of its residents, even in its most rural areas.
Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan, who represented Henrico's Varina District as a state representative and now represents the area in Congress, presented a $725,000 check to county representatives Monday morning, representing funding that will go toward a $6.5 million project to bring broadband infrastructure to Eastern Henrico.
The project, set to bring 87 miles of fiber-optic broadband cabling to underserved areas through All Points Broadband, is also expected to be supported by state, local, and private funds.
"The internet is an integral part of our everyday lives, but, unfortunately, too many communities still lack broadband access," McClellan said.
According to county officials, 376 residences, 22 businesses, and 14 other addresses do not have broadband services.
"These are parts of Henrico County where broadband providers are not offering service. These areas are not currently served by cable or fiber technology that can handle broadband speeds. All of these unserved areas are here in the Eastern District of Henrico, in the Varina magisterial district," said Travis Sparrow, Henrico's Internet Technology Director.
"These are areas where the terrain is, or how far away the homes are, it'll take a while to build that network, but you can't build the network without the funding," McClellan said.
Wilhelmina and James Greene, who live in Varina, thanked McClellan, Henrico County Board Chair Tyrone Nelson, and other county leaders for working to bridge what they called the "digital divide," claiming they've had issues with their services for some time, often having to step outside their home to get a better connection on their phone. Their landline is also unreliable.
"Sometimes businesses will come and do work, and they have to go outside in order to do the transaction," Wilhelmina Greene said. "We love Varina, we love the rural area. I love to live among the trees. I love gardening. I love planting. And the issue has become, if there's a health issue, how can we contact someone? And we didn't have that?"
Greene said it's not just about her and her family's safety. A former teacher in Henrico for more than four decades, she said she's seen the impact having reliable internet and phone service can have on Henrico's students.
"I taught at Henrico for 43 years. I enjoy children, I enjoy working with them," Greene said. "But in order for them to learn, they must start at home. And they do need that, they do need that. The technology is very important to all children."
County officials said construction is expected to start in early 2025.
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