Three Localities in Roanoke Region to Receive Nearly $7.3 million for Expanded Broadband Access

On Wednesday, July 24, Governor Glenn Youngkin announced more than $41 million in Virginia Telecommunication Initiative grants (VATI) for 10 broadband projects serving 20 localities throughout the Commonwealth. Three of those localities are here in the Roanoke Region: Alleghany, Botetourt, and Franklin Counties.

A Virginia Tourism Corporationg "LOVE" sign at the Humpback Bridge in Covington, VA. It's a sunny day with green grass and green trees in the background of the bridge.
LOVE sign at Humpback Bridge in Alleghany Highlands.

The VATI program provides targeted funding to extend service to areas that are presently unserved by any broadband provider. An expansion of services like this can have profoundly positive impacts on a community– it provides more educational and connectivity options for residents and opens up economic development opportunities for localities.

“Virginia continues to be a national leader for closing the digital divide, and today’s announcement brings us one step closer to becoming the first state in the nation to reach statewide universal broadband coverage,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin. “In our increasingly digital world, having access to high-speed broadband isn’t a luxury; it’s a prerequisite to participate in daily life.”  

Aerial photo of Smith Mountain Lake in Franklin County, VA during golden hour. There are green, tree-filled peninsulas throughout the lake and mountains in the background. You can see some homes in the background lining the shore of a portion of the lake.
Smith Mountain Lake in Franklin County, VA. Photo courtesy of Virginia Living

This year, the Department of Housing and Community Development received 25 grant applications requesting more than $170 million in VATI funding. Of those, Alleghany, Botetourt, and Franklin counties were awarded $2.3 million, $395,411, and over $4.5 million respectively. According to the governor’s press release, “Projects were selected through a competitive process that evaluated each project for demonstrated need and benefit for the community, applicant readiness and capacity, and the cost and leverage of the proposed project.”

A new "LOVE" sign in Botetourt County with rolling green hills behind it and the Blue Ridge Mountains as a backdrop. The "L" is a bright green, the "O" is the Botetourt County flower logo with a lime green, orange, navy blue, yellow, and light blue petal. The "V" is orange, and the "E" is light blue.
New LOVE sign in Botetourt County, VA. Photo courtesy of Botetourt County.

Congratulations to Alleghany, Botetourt, and Franklin Counties on this tremendous win! We look forward to work beginning and the opportunities this brings to the Roanoke Region.

Click here to read the full governor’s release.