Craig-Botetourt Electric Cooperative plans to offer high speed Internet
If Craig-Botetourt Electric Cooperative can get a Virginia Telecommunications Initiative (VATI) Grant they plan to launch a fiber based high speed Internet service for customers. Sean Hildebrand Craig-Botetourt CEO said, ” We would first serve customers south of Rt. 606 Grove Hill Rd all the way to the Roanoke County line.” That would include: Lees Gap, Lee Lane, Breckinridge Mill Rd, Catawba Rd, Little Catabwa Creek Rd, Stone Coal Gap Rd, Catawba Valley Rd and many many smaller feeder roads in that CBEC general service area.
Customers received a letter in the past day or so indicating the need to make public comments to vatigrant@cbec.com by 2 p.m. on Dec. 14.
Hildebrand said the service would start at 25 Mbps and go to 125 Mbps. The beginning rate for the fiber route plus telephone would be about $80 per month.
Currently very few of the customers in this area have DSL or wireless except through cell phone hot spots and satellite service. Botetourt County is assisting with the grant application. In September the county held a summit to discuss how to expand Internet service. Hildebrand wants to move the plan forward in increments for CBEC customers as funds become available.
The first phase is 621 customers.
However, said Hildebrand, “We need customers to say how having the service would help them in their jobs, developing jobs from home and/or if they have children who need Internet service for school work.
If CBEC obtains the grant of up to 1 million dollars, they will be able to move forward with the project in hopes of having it operational by this time next year.
Again, Hildebrand asks that customers make beneficial comments to:
by Cathy Benson Photo by Cathy Benson
Tag: Hopefully wireless routers will be reflected in customers of CBEC in the near future
