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Charter updates Suffolk on broadband builds, urges property access to finish VADI areas
Summary
Charter told the Suffolk City Council it has finished federal RDOF work in the city but still needs property access and permits to complete state-funded VADI builds; the company plans a 60-day outreach to secure rights of entry and warned federal/state grant timelines require quick action.
Joe Prater, Charter Senior Director of Government Affairs, briefed the Suffolk City Council on the company's progress completing federally and state-funded broadband builds in the city and urged residents to respond to access requests so work can finish before grant deadlines.
Prater said Charter has completed its RDOF (federal Rural Digital Opportunity Fund) obligations in Suffolk and described the state-run VADI areas the company was awarded in late 2021. He said the company's local map shows 39 remaining VADI build points that are pending permits, about 140 residential parcels that require a right-of-entry (ROE) or easement, and 323 multi-dwelling-unit locations where property-owner or management access is needed. "We're gonna give a 60 day window for them to report back to us," Prater said, adding that if owners decline access the company will work with the state to adjust the build footprint.
Prater described Charter's field process for last-mile connections: teams perform a physical walk-out of planned routes, check county parcel GIS data, identify required pole or underground routes, then knock on doors or leave door-hanger notices when an easement or access agreement appears necessary. He said the company has conducted recent site visits with the Virginia Office of Broadband and regional partners and credited local coordination for the pace of work.
Council member Butler Barlow asked how residents could check whether they are on the unserved list. Prater directed residents to the Commonwealth Connection map maintained by the state for VADI project areas and offered to provide contact help for specific addresses. "As far as the RDOF, which all of it's been built in Suffolk, so there's nothing left remaining," he said, adding that remaining VADI addresses would appear on the state map.
Prater warned that federal and state funding timelines constrain the work: if property owners do not permit access within the outreach window, the company may need to work with the state to change the build plan and could be unable to serve some locations before grant funds expire. He closed by offering to follow up with residents who contact Charter with detailed location questions.
Next steps: Charter will begin a letter-based ROE outreach campaign with a 60-day response window and will continue permit coordination with the city; residents who cannot determine their status were advised to consult the Commonwealth Connection map or contact Charter for address-specific assistance.
