Broadband internet expansion project continues in Pittsylvania County

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 locations in the county.

The $91 million project is being funded by federal, state, and local government.

“I just don’t think anybody realized years ago that we would be so dependent upon the internet,” said Vic Ingram, Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors member. “Having the largest county in Virginia, you can only imagine the massive amount of work that goes into providing the internet for the vast majority of our citizens.”

Over 200 homes and businesses out of the planned 16,000 are now connected to service.

People in the county without fiber-to-the-home internet have to use hot spots or cell phones for a connection that, even then, might not have the best signal.

“Where I live, I don’t have reliable internet. So it’s been tough for me as anybody else. When people ask me about it, I have to say, ‘I feel your pain, because I’m living it every day myself,’” added Ingram.

They are currently routing fiber optic cables to homes in the area. They expect the project to be complete by the end of next year.

“Whether we’re talking about people that work from home or we’re talking about our students, they’ll be able to do so much more by way of the Internet to complement their studies. So, that’s pretty exciting,” said Ingram.

Residents can click here to see an interactive map of construction progress.