Broadband agreement will allow every home in New Kent County, Virginia, to get high-speed Internet

New Kent County (VA) voted to enter into a $16.1 million agreement with Cox Communications to provide a high-speed broadband connection to every home and business in the county. Approximately 3,053 homes in the county have limited to no broadband service and will be connected within 28 months of Cox receiving its permits, according to the County Administrator Rodney Hathaway. The County is leveraging $4.2 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding and other revenue to finance the project. The fiber optic network buildout should begin by the end of September 2022 with estimated completion in September 2024 for the unserved homes, and an upgrade for Cox customers on existing services is scheduled to begin in July 2023 and is projected to be completed by August 2026. Though, to connect all residents, the County anticipates a six-year period to do so.