Portsmouth authority outlines local and regional fiber plan, seeks federal BEAD and digital-equity funding

The Portsmouth Broadband Authority heard an update on the city’s local and regional fiber networks and on state and federal grant opportunities that could fund last‑mile connections and digital‑equity programs.

"My name is Cliff Hayes. I am the chief information officer in the city," Hayes told authority members as he described the city’s “local ring,” the regional connection ring and how the networks support public safety, schools and economic development. He said Portsmouth’s local ring contains about 55 miles of fiber and that the city has built 144‑strand cabling to support future expansion.

The update placed the local ring in the context of a larger Regional Connection Ring (RCR) that consultants and partners designed starting in 2017. "We were instrumental in designing the regional connectivity ring," consultant Jeff Bicou said, describing the RCR as a middle‑mile backbone that connects multiple localities and links to subsea cables off Virginia Beach.

Why it matters: city officials say the combination of a municipal middle‑mile network, private ISPs building last‑mile connections and federal/state grants can lower recurring telecom costs for anchor institutions, increase available speeds, and…