Patrick County citizens need to come out in support of broadband and the new provider, ZiTel. They promise to soon begin working at a rapid pace to complete the project in Patrick, Henry and Franklin Counties previously contracted to RiverStreet Networks who ran into financial difficulties. This company, located in Moneta on Smith Mountain Lake in Bedford County, has assumed responsibility for assuring the looming funding deadlines are met. Wren Williams recently was quoted by Cardinal News expressing his conviction that this will be our last chance to bring fiber-based high-speed internet to our county as no future funding sources are anticipated.
For those living on the mountain who, like me, thought we would be switched over to Citizens who could have quickly completed our area, the decision by our county was difficult. ZiTel has a formidable project with budget and time constraints, and I understand they insisted that all possible locations be included in their contract to improve their payback period. While at present this has likely put us at the tail end of the project, I am asking the county to press Appalachian Power to complete their middle-mile fiber quickly past Meadows of Dan as called for in the contract. The previous broadband contract had partners Appalachian Power and RSN completing the entire project over a year ago. Thus, APCo should already be complete with their middle-mile fiber. They currently plan to wait until sometime next year when work on the Vesta route 58 project progresses and they can relocate poles in the few locations impacted. However, it appears they could easily install fiber on existing poles and make provisions to make the changes at the time they relocate power lines. This would enable the county to request ZiTel to prioritize service to Woolwine, where middle-mile fiber has already been installed on power poles, and to Vesta/Meadows of Dan. These two areas were omitted when upgrades to phone and internet services were made some twenty years ago and consequently have the most issues with telephone and internet in the county.
Thanks for supporting broadband.
Steve Terry,
Former Chairman, Patrick County Broadband Committee
