Nearly 800,000 Virginia households still don’t have wireline broadband internet

Experts say many Virginians still don’t have access to what’s called wireline broadband internet, like cable and fiber. Dr. John Horrigan with the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society told Virginia’s Joint Commission on Technology and Science that, based on 2023 data, about 800,000 Virginia households still don’t have wireline broadband internet. “Wireline broadband typically gives you the fastest speed with unlimited data, that enable people to do all the things online that policy makers probably care about. Work at home. Take a class online. Have a telehealth session,” Horrigan told the commission. Horrigan said that while older residents and those living in rural areas are less likely to have wireline broadband, income is the number one reason some Virginians don’t have wireline broadband. To change that, Horrigan said lawmakers could create subsidies to benefit low-income individuals or pass legislation requiring service providers to offer discounts.