Supervisors hear broadband rollout update; county expects construction to begin by July

During board member comments, Mister Watson provided an update on the county's broadband rollout. He said county partners Citizens and Zytel are installing infrastructure in parts of the county, Carroll County has completed paperwork and is awaiting VDOT permits, and the federal approval process (BEAD/ARC) must be cleared before construction can begin.

"So within, you know, an estimated less than 2 years, you should see fiber and every the opportunity for fiber at anybody's home," Watson said, outlining the expected timeline once permits and approvals are in place. He added that Zytel is the county's selected contractor, that the county is the applicant on the BEAD application and would manage funding flows, and that the project may include a local storage yard on Route 58 for equipment.

Watson also described how multiple providers (Citizens, Zytel, Charter/Brightspeed) could operate in different areas, producing competition and greater access for residents. He said the county expects to begin visible construction work once VDOT permits and federal approvals are complete and encouraged residents to use the BEAD progress tracker when it is published.

The update did not specify a construction contract award date beyond the target of seeing construction activity beginning around July; Watson said some federal and state approvals remain pending.