High-speed internet service to reach more Virginia Shore towns

More residents of Accomack and Northampton counties may have access to high-speed internet service soon, after the Eastern Shore Broadband Authority approved expanding its fiber-to-the-home program to additional towns.

The board of directors Thursday approved expanding residential, fiber-to-the-home service to 14 more areas, in addition to the three where it previously offered the option.

"We have the money in the budget to support it," said Robert Bridgham, executive director, calling it a supportable action.

Areas identified in Northampton County include Cheapside, Cobbs Station, Townsend, Eastville, Nassawadox and Oyster.

In Accomack County, areas identified for expansion include Sanford, Accomac, Greenbackville, Atlantic, Wattsville/Horntown, Hallwood/Nelsonia, Oak Hall/New Church and Quinby.

The board will discuss which of the areas to prioritize at a special meeting Wednesday, Dec. 13.

The idea is to expand the service into two areas each month until June.

The authority had budgeted about $500,000 this fiscal year for residential expansion — and the year is nearly halfway through.

"It may be time for us, if we want to move forward with this, to move forward with it, because every month we delay it's less that we can do this year," said Robert Bridgham, executive director.

Another option the authority considered would have expanded the service to only seven of the areas.

Bridgham recommended the authority adopt "the expanded model to allow us to service the people of the Shore, as requested."

The board approved his recommendation without dissent.

The board also voted to hold a ceremony Wednesday, Nov. 22, at 9 a.m. to celebrate the initiative.

Pete Lalor, who made the motion, said a celebration is in order because, "this is a fundamental change in our direction."

BACKGROUND: What's next for broadband internet on Virginia's Eastern Shore?

In its initial foray into residential service, the Harborton area project, which started in fall 2016, now has 19 customers in service, with three signed customers awaiting installation and one potential customer with a contract, Bridgham told the board.

In the Bobtown/Pungoteague/Painter project, seven customers have service, one is signed and awaiting installation, and there is one potential customer with a contract, he said.

Both those areas have had a fairly slow rate of signing on by residents.

On Church Neck, five customers have the service, one is signed and awaiting installation and there is one potential customer. The fiber extension was completed there in July.

Charles Kolakowski, a board member and Northampton County administrator, asked whether any surveys were done prior to the initial fiber-to-home program, and whether marketing had been done since.

Bridgham said the program began before he became director, but said, "I don't believe there was one done. We had a lot of feedback, obviously, from the public, directly at board meetings."

Doorhangers were placed on residences in Harborton and the Bobtown/Pungoteague/Painter area, Bridgham said.

"We could certainly ramp up the take rates if we went further with that," he said.

Bridgham also reported that the authority continues to have 11 free-access WiFi hotspots on the Shore, including in downtown Parksley, Exmore, Cape Charles, Chincoteague and at the Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce in Melfa, among others.

"We're doing a fair amount of traffic at these," he said, noting 42 people on Oct. 1 were using the hotspot service and 104 were using it on Oct. 4.

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"So we certainly have people using these hotspots for many reasons," Bridgham said, adding, "... I think these continue to be good for the Shore."

In additional news, Hallwood, which has high-speed internet through Eastern Shore Communications, experienced an outage of the service Nov. 5 at 2 p.m. after someone shot the cable with birdshot, Bridgham said.

"This is the second or third time at the broadband authority, that I'm aware of, that we've got our cable shot at — so, weird things happen," he said.

The damaged section of cable was replaced and service was restored to Hallwood, he said.

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