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River Street outlines $28.5M broadband build for Amelia County, counties and state funds committed
Summary
River Street presented a fiber‑to‑the‑home plan covering roughly 40,490 locations and 374 miles of fiber with a total project cost of about $28.5 million; funding includes $5.1M from River Street, approximately $4.4M in county ARPA funds and an $18.6M state commitment, with RDOF support and milestone‑driven payments.
River Street representatives presented a countywide broadband build plan and funding overview to the supervisors. Rob Taylor said the build targets just under 40,490 locations across a roughly 374‑mile fiber footprint, with total project cost roughly $28.5 million.
Taylor described the funding stack: River Street contribution of $5.1 million, county ARPA funds of about $4.4 million, and approximately $18.6 million in state funds. He said the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) provides approximately $351,000 paid over 10 years and that state and ARPA funds are paid as construction milestones are met. Taylor said roughly 5,000 locations are already past the planning threshold, aided by River Street’s purchase of a local TDS operation and associated fiber assets.
Taylor explained construction staging, including a main hub in the courthouse downtown area and a 50x50 parcel for a Lower Amelia central office (12x20 precast building), with graded site work planned soon. He invited residents to view a live build map at myriverstreet.net and noted that address dots will change color as construction progresses.
Board members asked about service areas, billing conversion from TDS to River Street and timelines for customer activations; Taylor said billing should update the next cycle as River Street absorbs customers and that network electronics and certain upgrades remain underway. Taylor also said ARPA funds must be spent by the end of 2026 per grant requirements.
What happens next: River Street will continue coordination with county staff, update the build map, and proceed with milestone‑based construction and invoicing. Residents can check availability and register interest on the company’s map.
