Pittsylvania County's (VA) unique approach to solving broadband challenges

Pittsylvania County, Virginia, is taking a unique approach to one of the biggest challenges of expanding broadband in rural areas: the upfront cost of the infrastructure. “Who should pay for the infrastructure?” is a common question when it comes to broadband expansion, said Rebecca Watts, regional vice president of Western Governors University, who serves on the Virginia Chamber of Commerce Workforce and Education Executive Committee. This is especially challenging as broadband infrastructure is often more expensive in rural areas than urban areas, because of the greater distance between homes and more cable that needs to be laid, she said. But in Pittsylvania County, where there are at least 12,000 homes with inadequate internet access, a three-way partnership is addressing the upfront cost of broadband infrastructure while waiting for more money from the state government. The Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors, the Pittsylvania County School Board, and RiverStreet Networks, a North Carolina-based network provider that has expanded operations to Virginia, are working together to fund broadband infrastructure. The board of supervisors is putting in $11 million, $6.5 million of which came from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, with the remaining $4.5 million coming from revenue-sharing agreements.