Participants receive access to expert assistance and opportunities for connecting with peers nationwide.
What hasn’t been so idyllic is the area’s internet access, which is unreliable and slow.
Cell phone service ranges from erratic to nonexistent.
But change is coming.
In fact, it contains the states highest peak, Mount Rogers, at 5,729 feet.
The countys broadband project is being funded in part by a $1.8 million state grant.
The implementation work is being done in partnership by the county, GigaBeam Networks and Appalachian Power.
Grayson County joined theAARP internet of Age-Friendly States and Communitiesin January 2017.
That area is very rural.
Most people don’t have access to the internet and the phone service is spotty.
It might be working for three or four days and then residents suddenly lose service.
I met with a group of 50 or so women who ranged in age from 60 to 90.
Doctors are hard to find in rural areas, because the money isnt as good here.
The biggest advancement here with broadband is going to be telehealth.
We’re trying to recruit businesses here.
In particular, we’re trying to recruit small businesses.
Businesses need connectivity, Shepley adds.
Agriculture is our number one industry.
But in order for farmers to market their products, theyve got to be on the net.
Shortly after being named county administrator in July 2017, Shepley met with Fant to discuss their community priorities.
The broadband committee understood that the community needed a plan and someone with the technical expertise to develop it.
Learn more by readingThe Roanoke Timesarticle “Grayson County Gets Approval for Pilot Project to Expand High-Speed Internet.”
The long-awaited construction for the Broadband Project is underway!
Fiber is now currently being installed within the county."
Three companies expressed interest in the countys request for proposals, with GigaBeam Networks ultimately selected for the job.
In May 2019, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam traveled to Grayson County for a ceremonial bill signing.
Appalachian Power had approached Grayson County, knowing that broadband efforts were already underway.
The county, GigaBeam and Appalachian Power formed a partnership to implement the pilot.
They actually picked the hardest county to do the work, explains Shepley.
Grayson Countys broadband installation began in December 2020.
The project requires laying 240 miles of fiber in the county.
The work was about 20 percent complete as of March 2021.
But frankly, we’re really catching up with everybody else.
This is actually leveling the playing field.
The coolest thing for us is that we are the least connected rural county in Virginia, says Shepley.
This will transform us into one of the most connected rural counties in the United States.
Broadband is going to be a revolutionary change.
With broadband, the data can be uploaded from home for a physician to access.
Reporting by Amy Lennard Goehner
