Bolling holds roundtable broadband discussion in Danville

Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling joined local government and business leaders Wednesday in Danville for a roundtable discussion about what works and what doesn’t with Virginia’s broadband coverage.

Danville’s high-tech Institute of Advanced Learning and Research hosted the discussion, where more than 25 local leaders, including Danville Mayor Sherman Saunders, Pittsylvania County Administrator Dan Sleeper and state Sen. Robert Hurt, spoke with state officials and representatives from Broadband for America about the importance of establishing reliable high-speed internet. Broadband for America is a nationwide coalition working to expand Internet access.

“We’re in a great position today here in this part of the state to be able to take advantage of future economic recovery,” Bolling told the group.

Expanding broadband access to rural areas eventually leads to economic growth, Bolling said, because businesses looking to relocate or expand in a new area are looking for one with a capable network. But getting Internet access to the state’s most rural areas is not always easy, he said.

“In southern Virginia, there are pretty good trunk systems in place,” Bolling said after the discussion. “The challenge is getting the service off those systems (to rural areas). Companies want to expand, but it’s hard to justify the cost where there isn’t the population density.”

Saunders touted Danville’s existing network that has grown to more than 125 route miles of fiber optic cabling, but Sleeper noted that some companies will not expand off of that existing infrastructure to reach out to the more rural areas.

That’s where the state comes in to help meet the companies’ needs — applying for grants and mapping out coverage areas.

Sens. Jim Webb and Mark Warner announced $19 million in federal stimulus funds Tuesday to expand access in Southside — in addition to a $16 million infrastructure grant in February. Bolling also congratulated the Tobacco Commission for committing $106 million in providing broadband infrastructure across the region.

Dave McClure, president of the U.S. Internet Industry Association and Broadband for America board member, said Tuesday the biggest obstacle to expanding access to rural areas was not necessarily establishing infrastructure — but instead getting residents to understand and use the resource.

“Rural broadband (access) is not as dismal as it was portrayed,” McClure said. “… The real problem of broadband … is helping people to understand how it can transform their lives and why it is essential.”

McClure said those not using broadband were low income residents. Bringing broadband into their lives “gave them the ability to raise themselves up” and look for new jobs and opportunities.

He also said that bringing broadband to a community did not necessarily bring economic development, but not having access was “a major disincentive” for businesses.

Bolling said the Office of Telework Promotion and Broadband Assistance was drafting a comprehensive broadband plan to address those infrastructure and educational components of broadband expansion, including computer revitalization and training programs.

“We’ve got the basics,” Hank Davis, chairman of the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors said, “but we haven’t gone the last mile … We’ve gotta get it out of the main areas to the rural communities.”