Much like the construction of broadband networks across municipality borders, community development efforts often rely upon collaborations between multiple local governments and other organizations to produce the best outcomes. This session will focus on best practices for regional collaboration around broadband and community development. This session will also highlight a success story about reaching universal broadband coverage in Grayson County, Virginia.

1. Partners for Better Communities
Tammy Breski, Program Manager, Office of Broadband

2. Office of Broadband Responsibilities
• Assist communities with Broadband Planning efforts
• Provide technical assistance to stakeholders on accessing Tribal and Federal
broadband programs
• Oversight of the State Broadband Map
• Staff the Broadband Advisory Council
• Administer Virginia Telecommunication Initiative (VATI)
• Technical Assistance, Grants Management
• Administer the Line Extension Customer Assistance Program
• Develop and Manage the Broadband Project Dashboard
• Staff the Commonwealth Connect Coalition

3. Broadband Office – Org. Chart
Director
Planner Planner Policy Analyst
Administrative
Assistant
Line Extension
Program
Administrator
Program Analyst
Broadband
Program
Manager
Project
Manager
Project
Manager
Project
Manager
Project
Manager
Project
Manager

4. Partners for Better Communities
Office of Broadband
Virginia Telecommunication Initiative
Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 – FY2021
145 Applications
$166.4 million requested
---
$74 million awarded
$86.3 million leveraged
78,035 connections
47 projects awarded across 56 localities
FY2022 VATI
57 Applications from 84 localities
$943.3 million requested
---
$722 million awarded
$1 billion leveraged
70 localities achieving universal coverage
278,550 connections

5. Partners for Better Communities
How does VATI facilitate partnerships?
Before the grant cycle:
• Planning Process
• E-Harmony for Localities and ISP’s
• Stakeholder information session

6. Partners for Better Communities
How does VATI facilitate partnerships?
During the application cycle:
• Technical Assistance from the Project Managers
• Think “outside the box”
• “Open Book Test”

7. Partners for Better Communities

8. Partners for Better Communities

9. Partners for Better Communities
How does VATI facilitate partnerships?
During the grant award:
• Technical Assistance from the Project Managers
• Monthly reports
• Risk Assessment
• Compliance with State and Federal Regulations
• Retainage of grant funds

10. Partners for Better Communities
Chandler Vaughan, Policy Analyst, Office of Broadband

11. Partners for Better Communities
• Internet Service Provider (ISP) Business Model/Formulas
• Rural low density = limited potential ratepayer = low/no ROI
• Service territories, economics of broadband expansion don’t stop
at county borders
• Isolated approach may inhibit expansion
Challenges of Broadband Expansion

12. Partners for Better Communities
• Broadband connectivity is a priority for the Governor and General
Assembly
• Estimated 500,000 locations unserved in the Commonwealth in
2018
~50,000 unserved locations remaining without access to
broadband infrastructure in 2022.
The Virginia Broadband Goal

13. Partners for Better Communities
The Virginia Broadband Goal
To Date
Since 2017:
• Over 429,000 locations connected
• $846+ million in funds invested
FY2022 Grant Cycle:
• 278,550 locations connected
• $722 million invested for universal broadband access in 70 counties

14. Partners for Better Communities
The Plan
Proceeding along three tracks:
1. Local planning support
2. Policy solutions
3. Direct grants to public private partnerships to “make the math work”
All supported by over 130 members of Commonwealth Connect Coalition
Our Approach

15. Broadband and Regionalism
• Internet service provider territories reach beyond
locality borders
• Regional planning efforts often reduce costs and
accelerate implementation
•Approximately 2/3 of funding requested this round of
VATI is from regional projects

16. Role of Regional Governments: FY22 VATI Awards
Applicant Type Projects Locations
Connected
Funding Awarded
Regional Applicants 14 225,903 $604 M
Single Local Government
Applicants
21 52,647 $118 M
Total 35 278,550 $722 M

17. Partners for Better Communities
Policy Support
• Leverage Utility Providers
 Investor Owned Utilities Middle Mile Networks
 Working with Rural Electric Cooperatives
• As a last mile service provider
• Streamlined pole attachment process
Policies Enabling Regionalism

18. Partners for Better Communities
Policy Support
• Planning District Commissions as eligible applicants
 Regional governments should be eligible applicants in grant programs
 Provide technical assistance
 Avoid ‘silo-ed’ thinking
Policies Enabling Regionalism

19. Partners for Better Communities
Collective Impact
• Common understanding of the problem
• Shared vision
• Developed a Strategy and Action Plan
Common Agenda
• Demonstrate Need and Demand
• Share accountability
• More impactful
Shared Measurement
• Separate organizations with staff
• Resources and skills to convene and coordinate
participating organizations
Backbone
Support

20. Grayson County, VA
Broadband Project

21. Grayson County
What is the greatest challenge for
delivering broadband internet in
Grayson County?

23. Grayson County
Grayson County’s beautiful mountains
and rivers also makes it more
challenging for broadband
infrastructure.

24. Brief History
• 2018 – Formation of the Broadband Committee
• Grayson County contracted Rural Broadband
Consulting to perform a broadband assessment
• 57% of the County was unserved
• 50% of public safety facilities were unserved
• Grayson County began the process of selecting a WISP
partner at the end of 2018
• Appalachian Power selected Grayson County for the
location of their Broadband Capacity Pilot program.
• Grayson County selected GigaBeam Networks as a
partner to expand broadband throughout the County.

25. Partnership
 In May of 2019, Governor Ralph Northam
signed into law allowing power utility
companies to provide middle-mile fiber in
Virginia.
 Appalachian Power submitted their plan
to the State Corporation Commission for
approval.
 Grayson County, Appalachian Power, and
GigaBeam Networks partner together to
expand broadband in Grayson County.

26. AEP Pilot Project – Fiber
Installation
• Estimated 237.5 miles of fiber to be installed in
Grayson County
• As of February 28, 2022, 66% of the fiber
infrastructure has been installed by AEP.
• Grayson County’s hybrid approach will offer both fiber
to the home and fixed wireless.
• Over 3,000 residents will have access to fiber to the
home with speeds of up to 1 Gbps.
• Residents outside fiber route will be served with fixed
wireless offering speeds up to 100 Mbps.

27. Grayson County - Fiber
Map
█ - AEP Fiber Routes
█ - TRRC 2018 Funding Area (Fixed Wireless)
█ - TRRC 2019 Funding Area (Fiber & Fixed
Wireless)
█ - VATI 2020 Funding Area (Fiber & Fixed
Wireless)

28. Grayson County Broadband Dashboard

29. Working Together!

30. Thank
You

31. Regional Journey to
Universal Broadband

32. Broadband, not important enough…yet
• Regional Plan 2004
• Created Regional Network Wireless Authority
• US EDA grant $500K

33. Broadband, getting more important
• $9.2 M Stimulus Act grant for Middle Mile Open Access
Network
• 7 counties, 57 community anchor institutions
• Partnership with local co-op and authority
• Early adopters in rural vs suburban markets

35. Finally, broadband is necessary
• Major state investments through VATI
• State committing ARPA funds
• $68M grant, fiber to the home, 3 counties, any location
under 25/3
• Utility Leverage Program with Appalachian Power

40. By the numbers…
• Montgomery/Bland = $40.7M grant $41.2M match
• $6M ARPA / $500K ARC
• Pulaski = $29.8M grant $29.8M match
• $2.2M ARPA
• Passings:
• Montgomery – 8,822
• Pulaski – 7,872
• Bland – 3,272