Broadband Effort Milestones

Below are brief broadband effort milestones and important developments related to Goochland County's overall effort to expand broadband service throughout the county.  These are brief highlights and not meant to be an exhaustive list of efforts.

The county will continue our efforts to encourage and welcome all providers to expand service to Goochland citizens.  This includes continuing to foster partnerships with providers to incentivize expansion of service to unserved and underserved areas of the county.

Goochland Broadband Internet Efforts - Brief Milestones 2019 - current
Goochland Broadband Internet Efforts - Brief Milestones 2018 - 2019
2019
 

Goochland continued to serve as a regional leader, organizing and hosting a third annual regional meeting on broadband with representatives from Ashland, Charles City, Chesterfield, Cumberland, Fluvanna, Hanover, Louisa, New Kent, Powhatan, and Plan RVA.

County staff attended the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development’s (VDHCD) Virginia Telecommunication Initiative (VATI) grant meetings.  Staff evaluated the VATI grant opportunity and discussed pursuing it with existing providers.

Members of the Board of Supervisors and county staff participated in multiple webinars, meetings, and information sessions about the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) ReConnect Rural Broadband Pilot Grant and Loan Program.  Due to multiple requirements, Goochland partnered with and supported Central Virginia Electric Cooperative (CVEC) and their subsidiary Firefly Fiber Broadband’s application for the ReConnect Loan & Grant opportunity which included significant portions of western Goochland.

County staff met with multiple providers (Aire Internet, SCS Broadband, Port 80 Internet Service, BOIP etc.) to discuss and encourage broadband expansion in Goochland.  Providers were encouraged to focus expansion in unserved areas, before underserved areas.

2018

SCS Broadband submitted an unsolicited Public Private Education Act (PPEA) broadband expansion proposal for the county.  The Board of Supervisors voted to consider SCS Broadband’s proposal initiating staff’s PPEA process and review of the proposal.  After review of their detailed proposal, county staff found that the proposal was not feasible to pursue further.

Goochland continued to serve as a regional leader, organizing and hosting a second annual regional meeting on broadband with representatives from Charles City, Chesterfield, Cumberland, Fluvanna, Hanover, Louisa, New Kent, Powhatan, and Plan RVA.

County staff met with multiple providers (SCS Broadband, CVEC, Lumos Networks, etc.) to discuss and encourage broadband expansion in Goochland.  Providers were encouraged to focus expansion in unserved areas, before underserved areas.

County staff attended the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development’s (VDHCD) Virginia Telecommunication Initiative (VATI) grant meetings.  Staff evaluated the VATI grant opportunity and discussed pursuing it with existing providers.

County staff met with Central Virginia Electric Cooperative (CVEC) representatives to discuss their proposal for a fiber-optic communications network in a portion of the county. The meeting started a discussion on their request for financial support to help offset costs to assure timely completion and success for the project.

 

Goochland Broadband Internet Efforts - Brief Milestones 2015 - 2017
2017
  

The Board of Supervisors adopted the Broadband Objectives and Principles document during their April 4, 2017 Board meeting.  The county anticipated that adoption of Broadband Objectives and Principles would provide clear information to potential broadband providers interested in the Goochland community.  It may even lead to an unsolicited Public Private Education Act (PPEA) proposal by a provider to extend service.

Goochland served as a regional leader, organizing and hosting a regional meeting on broadband with representatives from Charles City, Cumberland, Fluvanna, Hanover, Louisa, New Kent, Powhatan, and Plan RVA.

County staff met with multiple providers (Comcast, SCS Broadband, Last Mile Broadband, etc.) to discuss and encourage broadband expansion in Goochland.  Providers were encouraged to focus expansion in unserved areas, before underserved areas.

County staff attended the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development’s (VDHCD) Virginia Telecommunication Initiative (VATI) grant meetings.  Staff evaluated the VATI grant opportunity and discussed pursuing it with existing providers.

2016

Goochland participated in the Commonwealth of Virginia’s RUOnlineVirginia crowdsourcing initiative to map broadband access in Virginia.  The results allowed for the comparison of citizen reported coverage and data versus provider reported data.  The results were compiled in the RUOnlineVA? Virginia’s 2016 Broadband Demand Campaign report. 

Goochland engaged the Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) in 2016 to conduct a broadband assessment which included a review of existing reports, available resources, and opportunities for potential broadband service providers.  One of the recommendations from CIT was the adoption of Goochland’s Broadband Objectives and Principles to facilitate broadband services being provided throughout Goochland County, including the expansion of services to unserved and underserved areas.

County staff attended the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development’s (VDHCD) Virginia Telecommunication Initiative (VATI) grant meetings.  Staff evaluated the VATI grant opportunity.

2015

The Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) and Virginia Tech partnered to host Broadband Planning Strategies Workshops throughout the Commonwealth.  Representatives from the Board of Supervisors and county staff participated learning about mapping and other resources from the State.  In addition, county representatives talked with potential provides and discussed Goochland’s needs.


Goochland Broadband Internet Efforts - Brief Milestones 2008 - 2014

2014

In early 2014 the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) introduced a new rural broadband experiments trail program.  The program’s goal was to bring high-speed Internet to those areas of rural America still suffering from abominable broadband service.  Adaptrum and CVA Link submitted an “expression of interest” that focused on a number of localities including Goochland.  The county submitted our own “expression of interest” letter to the FCC which supported Adaptrum/CVA Link’s proposal as well as any other broadband providers  proposal for Goochland.

2013

Two separate workgroups, Broadband & Broadband Legislative, were formed as a result of the Goochland High Speed Internet Committee (GHSIC) recommendations. Meeting on a number of occasions in 2013, the Broadband workgroup discussed efforts to attract additional broadband providers.  The Broadband Legislative workgroup met in the spring of 2013 to discuss and propose potential legislative requests to improve and expand broadband.

The county issued a letter of support in January 2013 in order for Stratcom International, LLC to gain approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to deploy a new TV White Space broadband technology.  Soon after, Stratcom was cleared to deploy their technology in Virginia as well as seven other states along the East Coast.  Stratcom was working with on the new technology with local provider, CVA Link, and equipment manufacture Adaptrum.  Eventually, Adaptrum and CVA Link partnered directly to implement the TV White Space technology in Central Virginia.

2012

The Goochland County Board of Supervisors established the Goochland High Speed Internet Committee (GHSIC) in April 2012 for the purpose of identifying opportunities to facilitate County-wide availability of high-speed Internet service.  GHSIC reviewed existing data, efforts by other localities, and completed a community assessment of existing providers, coverage areas, areas for improvement.  A report on GHSIC’s Findings and Recommendations was completed in October 2012.

2010

The county pursued Google’s Fiber for Communities initiative that was unveiled on February 10, 2010.  Goochland was one of the 1,100 communities (governments) that responded, in addition numerous nominations from our citizens made up a portion of the 194,000 nominations from individuals.  Google announced on March 30, 2011 their choice of Kansas City, Kansas at the location for their ultra-high-speed experimental fiber network.

2009

At the request of Virginia Broadband (VABB), the county provided support documents and information for the application they submitted for the 1st round of stimulus funding availability.  Their application for Goochland and 16 other localities was not successful.

2008

The county conducted a broadband study in the Winter of 2008.  It consisted of focus groups, a citizen survey randomly mailed to 3,000 residents with 914 surveys returned, a review of existing providers, and infrastructure and asset review.

The county issued a request for information (RFI), in the fall of 2008, to broadband providers asking them to propose solutions to the county’s broadband problem.  Two vendors responded, but only one furnished information requested which was not pursued due to feasibility.

The county submitted a response in late 2008/winter 2009 to a questionnaire issued by the Director of the Commonwealth’s Office of Telework Promotion and Broadband Assistance and Deputy Secretary for Technology about potential broadband projects that could benefit from the economic stimulus, American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA).