PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Va. (WDBJ) – High-speed internet access is expanding across Pittsylvania County.
The county partnered with RiverStreet Networks in 2021 to bring broadband internet to underserved areas of the county.
The $91 million project is funded by federal, state and local organizations.
“I don’t think anyone realized years ago that we would become so dependent on the Internet,” said Vic Ingram, a member of the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors. “Being the largest county in Virginia, you can imagine the tremendous effort that goes into providing internet access to the majority of our citizens.”
Nearly 3,000 of the 16,000 planned homes and businesses are now connected.
People in counties without fiber to the home must use a hot spot or cell phone to connect, and even then they may not get the best signal.
“Where I live, we don’t have reliable internet. So it’s been tough for me, just like it has been for everyone else. When people ask me about it, I’m like, ‘I understand your pain, I have to say that because I live it every day myself,’” Ingram added.
They are currently running fiber optic cables to homes in the Ringgold area. They expect the project to be completed by the end of next year.
“Whether we’re talking about people working from home or students, they’ll be able to do more with the internet to supplement their schoolwork. So it’s very exciting,” Ingram said.
Residents can click here to view an interactive map showing construction progress.
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