CARES Act to bring Broadband to more of rural Botetourt

September 23, 2020 Cathy Benson

Botetourt County Board of Supervisors Declares October 5-11, 2020 Broadband Week,
Celebrates Recent Buildouts, Progress Towards Goal

September 22, 2020 (Botetourt, VA) – During Tuesday afternoon’s Board of Supervisors meeting,
Botetourt County officially declared that the week of October 5th-11th will be Botetourt Broadband
Week. This celebration of community progress and connectivity is designed to raise awareness of
the County’s last three years of effort to enhance broadband connectivity across the County. The
celebration was planned to coincide with National Digital Inclusion Week sponsored by the National
Digital Inclusion Alliance.

“While there is still much to be done, we wanted to take the time to reflect on the tremendous
progress our community has made over the last three years,” Supervisor Mac Scothorn said. “It’s
incredible that we have developed strategies and partnerships that will successfully connect nearly
1,400 new homes and businesses by the end of the calendar year.”

At the same meeting, a representative from the Virginia Association of Counties (VACo) presented
the Board of Supervisors with an Achievement Award for its Broadband deployment strategy.
“Rural broadband deployment is one of the most difficult challenges of our era,” Chris McDonald
from VACo said. “Botetourt has been a shining example of how systematic progress leads to
measurable impact and community benefit.”

Since they issued their first telecommunications interest survey in the fall of 2017, the County has
been working to prioritize broadband access across the County. In March 2018, they formed the
Botetourt County Broadband Commission and, by fall, held the BOCO Summit, a first of its kind
strategy and innovation summit that attracted industry leading experts to speak on a wide array of
possible strategies and solutions for the County. In 2019, the County then hired Sandy Terry, a wellknown technology consultant to help define and prioritize local project priorities and grant
application opportunities.

Over the last three years, Botetourt County has made significant improvement in broadband
connectivity securing $760k in Virginia Telecommunications Initiative grant funds and attracting
multiple new broadband providers to the area.
While the county does not directly build telecommunications infrastructure, the County has worked
closely with new and existing service providers to drive new investment directly to the areas that
need coverage the most. Using the strategic plan launched in 2019, they are making measurable
strides and incrementally improving internet access, speed and reliability county-wide.
During the COVID-19 global health crisis, the County received Federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and
Economic Security (CARES) Act funding and other grants to help the community cope with the
pandemic. Botetourt County has allocated more than 50% of these funds for Broadband expansioan estimated $2.9 million.
“Broadband is top of mind for our entire community,” County Administrator Gary Larrowe said.
“During these challenging times, access and affordability are more critical considerations than ever
before but we’re making the right moves and starting to really reap the rewards. I’d like to personally
thank everyone in the community for their patience and support as we all continue to work together
to address this important priority effort.”
“I continue to be incredibly proud to serve this community,” Board Chairman Billy Martin said. “While
so many are complaining about the state of rural broadband. We’re not sitting back. We’re doing
something about it. It’s not a quick fix but we are getting there one step at a time.”