Henry County will begin a yearlong effort to bring internet access to all its residents.
The month of March kicks off a broadband expansion project that could bring more than 3,000 homes online.
“Our county adopted a slogan in 2022 that we would be ‘community connected,’” said county administrator Dale Wagoner. “We see this project as an extension of that promise.”
In Henry County, internet access is inconsistent, with 15% of residents unconnected.
“For example, our industrial parks and schools all have gigabit fiber connections. However, we have some areas in the more rural parts of the county that have access to no broadband. We generally have better service now than other rural localities,” said county spokesperson Brandon Martin.
In late February, officials from broadband company RiverStreet Networks provided project details. RiverStreet is currently pursuing similar broadband construction projects in other parts of the state, including Franklin and Patrick counties. It’s because of the work RiverStreet has done in the area that Henry County chose them to serve as contractors.
“RiverStreet Networks had already established a footprint in our surrounding localities, so they were familiar with our community needs and the requirements for undertaking such an intensive process in a rural locality,” Martin said.
The broadband project dates back to 2021. The county released a community survey to gauge the internet service needs of residents, Martin said. They found that internet service could not reach parts of the county due to a lack of infrastructure. The next year the county received a $10.9 million grant through the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development’s Virginia Telecommunications Initiative to expand internet service.
The project will be split into two phases.
The initial phase will focus on bringing broadband to the parts of the county that have no internet access. This part of the project entails 428 miles of fiber optics that could impact 3,461 households.
Martin explained that the project won’t force internet access on residents and will instead give them the option to purchase it.
“Construction will begin for Phase 1 of the project this month and some residents can expect service within the year,” Martin said.
Phase 2, which concentrates on areas that have connectivity but it’s unreliable, is slated for completion some time in 2026.
At a projected $34 million, the project will bring access to the entire county.
