Three new broadband proposals are on the table in Rappahannock, VA

Three internet service providers responded to the Rappahannock County Broadband Authority’s official request for information (RFI), bringing the Virginia county one small step closer to procuring broadband for unserved areas. The authority sent the RFI to 13 commercial providers in June 2021 in the hopes of identifying a partner to develop the county’s broadband network and heard back from All Points Broadband, Shenandoah Telecommunications Company, and Madison Gigabit Internet. Partnering with a provider will allow Rappahannock County to apply for federal and state grants which are unavailable to localities on their own. The next step is for the broadband authority to review the responses at a meeting on July 22 and then select a partner. The authority may move swiftly, given an approaching state funding deadline; the county has until July 27 to declare interest in funding from the Virginia Telecommunication Initiative, a pool of more than $50 million earmarked for broadband projects. To obtain funding in the next cycle, localities and their partners must submit their applications by September 14.