All Points, Brightspeed report first home connected as Hanover broadband crews install fiber

Hanover County officials and two contracted internet providers told the Board of Supervisors on April 11 that countywide fiber construction is expanding and that the first household on All Points Broadband's network was connected this week.

Deputy County Administrator Todd Kilduff said All Points had placed more than 40 miles of fiber in the ground — roughly 10% of the county's 326 miles planned under its contract — and that the company connected its first customer in the Old Church Road area. "We actually have our first home connection as of Monday," Kilduff said, noting the installation and a short home test during which the homeowner confirmed Wi‑Fi worked throughout an older, thick‑walled house.

Why it matters: the county has pushed for multiple providers so more households will have a choice of wired broadband. County staff, All Points and Brightspeed described the remaining steps for commercial service and customer hookups, and also answered resident questions about timelines, fees and permitting.

All Points and Brightspeed roles

Tom Innes, vice president of business development for All Points Broadband, told the board his company has activated an upstream cabinet and was splicing fiber into other cabinets across its eastern service areas. "We have 15 splicers out in the field connecting along the way," Innes said, and he added that All Points had already mailed sales letters to about 1,400 homes and that roughly 120 had signed up as of the morning of the meeting.

Brightness/Brighspeed (Brightspeed) representatives said their crews also have multiple crews working on underground and aerial placement in western service areas. Brightspeed's presenter said residents can check brightspeed.com to see availability and to order once service is offered to their address.

Timing and a rolling window for customer hookups

County staff reiterated the schedule developers have cited: mainline distribution fiber is contractually due to be installed countywide by Dec. 31, 2025, and individual customers will have a rolling 12‑month window from the date the provider notifies that the passing is available to request a standard installation without extra charge. Kilduff summarized that: once a passing is classified as served, residents have up to a year to take the standard connection before long‑drop fees could apply.

Pricing and long‑drop fees

All Points and county staff described installation charges in plain terms. Innes said the provider's standard installation covers up to 500 feet from the network terminal to the home and currently carries a $99 charge in Hanover; the grant agreement permits additional cost recovery beyond that, but Innes said All Points is not charging anything until 1,000 feet, and then charges $2 per foot after 1,000 feet. He emphasized an incentive: customers who sign up within 12 months of their fiber service area becoming active will receive a waiver of the long‑drop fee.

Permitting, make‑ready and where crews are working

Providers and county staff described three separate constraints that shaped where crews worked first: (1) utility make‑ready approvals from Dominion Energy and the Rappahannock Electric Cooperative (REC), (2) the location of the county's SEGRA connection (the upstream handoff for internet traffic), and (3) the state award and county decision to reimburse for underground construction where pole attachments would otherwise delay work. Innes said Dominion finished about 54 miles of new middle‑mile fiber and All Points has 40 miles of last‑mile fiber in place in FSAs 1–3. Kilduff said the state's make‑ready funds awarded to All Points allow more rapid underground construction and reduce reliance on pole‑by‑pole approvals.

Regulatory and property‑access hurdles

Speakers warned that individual installations can be delayed by private easement or homeowners association (HOA) issues. Innes and Brightspeed's presenter said providers will not enter private roads without an easement or agreement from property owners; in those cases the provider may wait until customers sign up or until an easement is negotiated. Kilduff said the county is tracking every constituent inquiry and that his office will continue to help resolve right‑of‑way or permitting questions.

Funding windows and BEAD/BED grants

All Points and county staff explained the difference between the county contract and several federal/state broadband funding streams. Kilduff and Innes said the county supported provider BEAD (federal) and state programs with letters and that state awards (when announced) would accelerate coverage for locations that remain unserved or underserved after the current builds. Innes said that recent federal and state rule changes expanded the number of eligible locations, and he said the state's BED/Broadband awards could eventually fill remaining pockets.

What residents asked the board

Several residents raised timing, transparency and reporting concerns. Board members asked staff for clearer monthly or bi‑monthly status updates on which streets had polls or cabinets approved, which areas were ready for connection and what the timeline would be for home hookups. Kilduff said the county would update its ConnectHanover web pages and post quarterly or more frequent maps showing progress.

Ending

County staff and providers described the work as moving quickly and urged residents to register interest so crews can plan drops when the distribution network passes their street. "No county funds have been used to date; everything has been carried by All Points," Kilduff said about construction to date, and both providers reiterated that residents can check provider websites and the county's Connect Hanover pages for the latest availability and pricing information.