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Verizon completes Caroline West broadband build; board reads resolution commending partner
Summary
Verizon and county officials said Verizon finished the VADi 2023 Caroline West broadband project ahead of schedule, bringing fiber service to roughly 815 previously unserved addresses; the board read a commending resolution and invited Verizon staff for a photo.
Verizon representatives told the Caroline County Board of Supervisors on April 8 that the company completed the Caroline West broadband build two months ahead of schedule, delivering fiber service to addresses west of I‑95 that had been classified as unserved. The county’s broadband coordinator, David Sadler, and Verizon project manager Jamie Baumann described the work and thanked volunteer committee members who vetted the vendor selection.
The board also read a resolution commending Verizon for its partnership on the VADi 2023 Caroline West project; the text of the resolution, read into the record by the board chair, says the county was awarded VADi grant funding in May 2023 and that Verizon and the county contributed the remainder of the funds to deliver service to the awarded addresses. After the reading the board invited Verizon staff forward for a photograph.
Why it matters: Bringing wired, multi‑gig broadband to previously unserved addresses supports resident connectivity, economic opportunity and public‑safety communications in the western part of the county. County staff and volunteer committee members said the project will also inform future grant applications to reach remaining unserved areas.
What the presenters told the board: David Sadler, the county’s IT director and broadband coordinator, said the board authorized the VADi 2023 application and selected Verizon as the partner; that selection followed multiple public meetings and review of roughly 10 responses to the county’s RFP. Jamie Baumann, Verizon’s project manager, said Verizon installed a new OLT at its Ladysmith central office, deployed about 62 miles of fiber for the project and opened the first addresses for sale in June 2024. Baumann reported approximately 350 customer installations had been completed by March 2025 and that the company continued to receive new orders month to month.
Board and public remarks: Supervisors and several citizens praised the work of the volunteer Caroline Broadband Advisory Committee and county staff during the presentation. Board members asked about Verizon’s broader copper‑replacement program and whether Verizon planned additional builds in other county neighborhoods; Verizon said it continually invests capital in its network footprint but did not announce a specific timeline for further builds in Caroline County.
What’s next: County staff and the broadband committee will continue community outreach while design and construction proceed for the planned Caroline East project. The presentation materials and the resolution text are part of the county meeting record.
Ending note: County staff asked the board to recognize the committee’s volunteer work; several supervisors and the chair thanked committee members and Verizon staff for the partnership and for the speed of delivery.
