Caroline County broadband update: Verizon Fios available to 73% of Caroline West addresses; Breezeline work continues

The Caroline County Broadband Advisory Committee reported on Jan. 27, 2025, that Verizon has installed main transport fiber for the Caroline West project and that 595 of 815 addresses — about 73% — can now order Verizon Fios, while the Caroline East Breezeline project has built roughly 53 miles of conduit or fiber and remains on schedule to finish by October 2026 despite remaining railroad-crossing work with CSX.

County broadband staff said the Caroline West build is effectively complete for main transport fiber and that only customer drops remain to be installed as orders are placed. The advisory committee said cabinet closures and final splicing were still being finished at specific sites, but the project is ahead of schedule and expected to complete before the March 2025 deadline. "Late break in as of about 3 o'clock this afternoon, we're excited to announce that 73% of the addresses in this project or, area can now order Verizon Fios," said David, a county staff member.

The Caroline East project, led by Breezeline, shows a larger footprint: the committee reported design is 100% complete and about 53 miles of fiber or conduit have been placed in the ground since construction began in January 2024. The committee said 93 of the 3,910 contracted locations are open for sale so far (roughly 2%), and that the project timeline shows about 42% of the scheduled time has elapsed while about 5–6% of project funding has been billed. One of four required CSX railroad crossings is finished; the remaining crossings were scheduled within roughly 21 days of the Jan. 27 update. "They were extremely excited to see that they were actually putting the conduit in the ground," said Jason Barlow, chairman of the Broadband Advisory Committee, after speaking with residents near recent trenching activity.

Committee members described construction practices they observed in the field: crews trenching and placing orange conduit and pedestals, the use of air/bore equipment to pass under obstacles, pull cords already run through many conduits so fiber installation can proceed quickly, and crews marking utilities with flags. Jason Jacobus, vice chair, noted the conduit boxes and the blue pressure machine used for underground work and confirmed that conduit was being installed before fiber was pulled. The committee said work along U.S. 301 and other corridors is focused on main transport fiber that will allow adjoining sections to be turned on as the network is completed.

The committee reviewed household assistance for connection costs: the Line Extension Customer Assistance Program (LECAP), administered through the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), can help cover the cost to extend broadband service from a provider's mainline to a residence (for example, long driveways). Committee members said about $8,000,000 remains in the LECAP fund statewide for installation assistance. The advisory group said the income-eligibility threshold in the state program is currently $170,340 maximum household income and that the state previously considered a lower threshold (about $70,000) before raising it after stakeholder pressure. County staff urged residents who think they qualify to begin the application process; staff directed residents to the county broadband inquiry form on the Caroline County website to request help with LECAP paperwork.

Committee members also discussed next steps: the group will continue monthly informational updates and may convene a business meeting on Feb. 17, 2025 if there is a flurry of developer or provider requests to the Board of Supervisors. The committee said it has forwarded three provider requests to the board and the board issued recommendations on those three; county staff reported that roughly a dozen to 14 companies had submitted letters of intent to the state to participate in projects affecting Caroline County.

The committee emphasized that published statewide scorecard numbers lag field progress (the county cited a broadband scorecard last updated Dec. 20, 2024) and that reported mileage and percent-complete figures should change as the state and providers update records after recent construction activity. The advisory committee scheduled its next broadband update for Monday, Feb. 17, 2025, at 7 p.m.

For more information, the committee advised residents to use the broadband inquiry button on the Caroline County website or contact their committee representative; staff said response times may take a day or two due to heavy construction activity.