Pictured, left to right: Holding a $16 million check to expand broadband to K-12 schools is Delegate Kathy Byron (Virginia Tobacco Commission), R. Bryan David (Mid-Atlantic Broadband and Region 2000), Congressman Tom Perriello, and Rustburg Elementary School Principal and Assistant Principal Lee Shearer and Deidre Washington.
$16 million given to expand broadband to K-12 schools
June 2, 2010
Children and teachers at 121 K-12 schools in Southern Virginia will soon have broadband Internet speeds 10 to 1,000 times faster than what they have today thanks to a $16 million federal grant presented by Congressman Tom Perriello to Mid-Atlantic Broadband Cooperative (MBC) to expand service through 465 miles of new fiber optic cable.
Congressman Perriello selected Rustburg Elementary School as the location to present the check to Region 2000’s Bryan David who serves on the MBC Board of Directors. School officials say that expanded coverage will enable them to do more testing online and help them deliver added education services that require faster speeds.
Delegate Kathy Byron, a key member of the Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission, was also on hand to discuss the investment the Commission makes to revitalizing Southside and Southwest Virginia’s economy. The Commission provided an additional $4 million as a match to the grant. “I know it’s sometimes overused, but I’d like to think that now with this broadband initiative, no school will be left behind,” she said during her remarks.
As a result of this work, each school being wired with the new fiber optic cable, will have the ability to acquire advanced telecom connectivity within about 18 months from now.