Editor, The Smithfield Times:

I read with great appreciation the coverage in The Smithfield Times of the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the “Rural Broadband Education Room” in Surry County with Gov. Ralph Northam (“Northam praises Surry broadband progress,” Sept. 1).

It’s wonderful to see a public-private partnership come together to help Virginians who currently lack access to high-speed internet. It was my pleasure to share the stage with Gov. Northam, Evan Fienman, Sen. Louise Lucas, our partners at Prince George Electric Cooperative/RURALBAND and Surry County to announce the exciting progress we have made together on our promise to make high-speed internet available to every house and business in the county.

Dominion Energy Virginia has a duty to provide electricity to everyone in our service area. That puts us in a unique position to help solve the problem of the broadband gap. As we transform Virginia’s electric grid, we are installing fiber-optic cable across our service area. By using fiber capacity for both grid operational needs and broadband access, we can lower the cost of providing broadband for internet service providers and customers.

I grew up in rural Virginia and understand the importance of making sure the march of progress is inclusive of all citizens of Virginia. So, I am particularly pleased that Surry is going to be one of the first counties to benefit from the partnerships established to bridge the digital divide in the commonwealth. It’s important to make sure that everyone in the commonwealth has a level playing field, particularly during these difficult times where more people are working and learning from home.

With the vision of Gov. Northam and the General Assembly, Dominion Energy Virginia is excited to help bring broadband access to underserved areas of the commonwealth.

 

Ed Baine

President

Dominion Energy Virginia

Richmond