A boost of $3 million could soon be received by Bristol Virginia Utilities as it works towards improving its fibre-optic broadband telecommunications network.
A recommendation for an appropriation of $3 million for the BVU was made recently by the Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission’s Southwest Economic Development Committee.
The Glade-Highlands Industrial Park near Glade Spring and Marion would use the money to help expand its existing fibre-optic loop by a further 49 miles and would include a “point of presence” in each location, which would cost a total of $3.9 million.
All members of the commission will be meeting in Wytheville on 29th October and are expected to vote on a recommendation for a further $500 000, which is currently pending.
The executive vice president and chief financial officer for the BVU, Stacey Bright said “This would allow us to provide redundant [fibre-optic] routes for all our customers, but especially Northrop Grumman and CGI-AMS [in Russell County. This would assure them of no down time and – in a data-driven world – without a backup they don’t work.”
In order to serve its commercial client in remote and rural areas throughout the Mountain Empire the BVU has spent the last four years expanding its fibre-optic network, which has been credited with pushing economic development efforts forward.
From independence to BVU facilities and then west along the interstate 81 corridor will be connected by 49 miles of fibre-optic backbone installed as part of the new plans and the project would also link to a similar network that is managed by Mid-Atlantic Broadband in South Virginia as well as securing the expansion of the infrastructure in the local area.
The chairman of the economic development committee that give its approval of the recommendation, Delegate Terry Kilgore said “Redundancy is very important in the data business. Their down time isn’t like down time in my [law] office.”
Source – Tricities