Bath Receives Tourism Grant

STAUNTON — Bath County will benefit from more than $18.3 million in Virginia Telecommunication Initiative grants recently announced by Gov. Ralph Northam.  
The money will be used to support 12 projects across the state, including the   “BARC Connects Rockbridge and Bath Counties” project submitted by the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission.
The multi-jurisdictional project is a collaborative effort between Bath County, Rockbridge County, the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission and Millboro-based BARC Electric Cooperative.
The project will be aimed at  bridging a digital divide  that exists in rural communities.
BARC is the private sector co-applicant and the cooperative will provide fiber infrastructure to the unserved units identified in the area.
The grant request was fully funded by the Virginia Telecommunication Initiative in the amount of $2.2 million.
The overall project will have a total cost of $17.8 million dollars including grant funds from Virginia Telecommunication Initiative, funding from BARC and additional monies from both Bath and Rockbridge counties.
The fiber network will be expanded into a defined project area in both localities, deploying a total of 314 miles of gigabit last mile fiber infrastructure serving about 1,100 businesses and residences.
The project area includes identified unserved units in BARC’s electric service territory in Bath and Rockbridge.
In constructing Fiber-To-The-Premise to reach identified unserved areas in Bath and Rockbridge, BARC will also make fiber available to an additional 1,165 units outside the submitted project route funded by the Virginia Telecommunication Initiative. 
“When we started our fiber project, we committed to one day serving every BARC member with world-class Internet,” said BARC CEO Mike Keyser.
“As a result of the collaborative effort with the counties and the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission, we take one big step forward toward that goal. We appreciate the assistance of our partners and are very thankful that our project was chosen for funding.”
“This project is a game changer for Bath County,” said Bath County Administrator Ashton Harrison. “Broadband development is economic development and we thank Governor Northam and his administration for continuing to support economic development in rural Virginia. We believe this project will greatly benefit our businesses, schools, first responders, and government agencies and will positively impact the quality of life for Bath County residents.”
Rockbridge County Administrator Spencer Suter also expressed gratitude for all those who worked on the grant, saying “This award is the result of a tremendous amount of coordinated effort by the staffs of Rockbridge and Bath counties, the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission and BARC. Continuing to  expand broadband into our rural areas remains a central focus, in support of business, education and quality of life.”
The Central Shenandoah  Planning District Commission  will serve as the grant administrator for the project and work with both localities and BARC from construction to completion.
Additional information about the project and consumer eligibility will be made available closer to the beginning of construction, Keyser said.
The 12 statewide projects covered by the more than $18.3 million in grants will connect approximately 36,000 households, including thousands of businesses and community anchor institutions. 
“Broadband is a necessity for communities to attract business, for students to use educational resources, and for Virginians to receive healthcare through tele-medicine,” said Northam. “My administration is committed to expanding broadband access to every part of Virginia, so that all of our citizens have access to the opportunities that connectivity make possible.”
Northam’s proposed budget adds an additional $16 million a year on top of the $19 million allocated annually last year, bringing the total investment to $35 million each year to further expand broadband in the commonwealth.
The Virginia Telecommunications Initiative program is a state-funded program administered by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development. 
The goal of the Virginia Telecommunications Initiative is to create strong, competitive communities throughout the commonwealth by preparing them  to build, utilize and capitalize on telecommunications infrastructure.
“VATI is a key resource we are utilizing to expand broadband access to all Virginians,” said Secretary of Commerce and Trade Brian Ball. “This funding will contribute significantly to the number of residents across the commonwealth that are able to live and work more efficiently thanks to broadband connectivity.”
Projects were selected through a competitive process evaluating each one  for demonstrated need and benefit for the community, applicant readiness and capacity, and the cost and leverage of the proposed project. The level of funding awarded is based on the infrastructure needs in the project areas.
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The project, “BARC Connects Rockbridge and Bath Counties” will benefit from more than $18.3 million in Virginia Telecommunications Initiative grants. The statewide initiative is aimed at bridging a digital divide that exists in rural communities. The goal of the Virginia Telecommunications Initiative is to create strong, competitive communities throughout the commonwealth by preparing them to build, utilize and capitalize on telecommunications infrastructure. BARC is the private sector co-applicant and the cooperative will provide fiber infrastructure to the unserved units identified in the area. (Photo Courtesy Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission)