BROADBAND INFORMATION HUB
Update from the County CIO
August 16, 2024
Fixed Wireless Update:
In the plan to provide fixed wireless broadband to the County, the water tower on Main St., the old Page Site and the Point play critical roles in signal distribution. Main Street plays a role in relaying the signal to the tower at the Landfill and the north tower located on Route 14, also known as James Store. This tower is in full operation. The water tower at Page is now operational and is capable of serving nearby residents. The water tower at the Point has all of the equipment installed and is awaiting a Verizon connection before serving customers. This Verizon circuit is scheduled to be installed and operational in the next couple of weeks.
The terrain and heavy tree coverage continues to be a hurdle for the fixed-wireless technology. Where heat maps had shown good signals in the planning stages the reality has been quite different. We are working with the vendor and private landowners to find tower locations that will better serve the areas that have been more difficult to reach.
In my September update I will discuss the actual coverage we are seeing.
If you live in an area near or around the Page and Point water towers you can contact Open Broadband for a signal assessment.
Wired Broadband
Virginia is releasing a program called BEAD and you can read about it here.
The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program is Virginia’s opportunity to finish the job on extending broadband access and also make long-term, transformational investments into broadband affordability and adoption. With the $1.48 billion in BEAD funds for Virginia, DHCD is finalizing plans to extend broadband infrastructure to the remaining unserved locations without a funded solution for connectivity and designing programs to meaningfully address broadband affordability and adoption.
This program allows for companies such as COX and Verizon as well as others to receive grants to build out rural areas. Companies are awaiting final population data from the FCC and will begin working on these in the Fall of this year. We are in contact with both COX and Verizon and will update this site as more information becomes available.
Broadband Access
A strategic priority of the Gloucester County Board of Supervisors is to provide all residents of Gloucester County options for access to unrestricted, fast, and reliable broadband service.
Update 5/23/2024
Many of our residents have extended driveways that broadband providers have deemed to be too long to be economically feasible to reach. This has left residents with a choice of no broadband or extremely high connection costs. The Virginia DHCD now offers the Line Extension Customer Assistance Program (LECAP) which helps with these connection costs. You can learn more about this program here or go directly to the individual resident portal to apply.
Update 5/17/24
Open Broadband had climbers on the Page Water Tower this week in preparation for bringing fixed wireless to more residents. We will keep you posted as this tower and its availability comes online.
Update 3/1/2024
The new Tarana equipment that replaced the original Nokia equipment is working well and we are seeing higher speeds than anticipated. However, the terrain is still working against the provider and many of the homes in the initial northern area are proving difficult to reach. Open Broadband is working with Verizon to place equipment on two of the Verizon towers which, studies indicate, will vastly improve the reach of the signal. Verizon is currently indicating a 5 month lead time which began in late January of this year.
The three-tower build-out continues to be on hold until the original VATI grant area is complete. Site plans for these towers has been completed.
Announcement Regarding Hardware Transition
July 6, 2023
Dear Citizens,
We would like to inform you about an upcoming change that will affect the hardware used by Open Broadband (OBB) to provide fixed wireless internet services in our community. After careful consideration and evaluation, OBB has decided to transition from their current supplier.
The decision to switch suppliers was driven by complications encountered with connectivity, which impacted the quality and reliability of their services. We understand the importance of high-speed connectivity in today's world, and it is our utmost priority to ensure that our citizens have access to a robust and dependable internet connection.
The new supplier offers the same technology but with a proven track record of delivering high-speed connectivity in areas like Gloucester. These regions share similar terrain and foliage cover, making this an ideal and proven choice for overcoming the challenges we face in providing reliable wireless internet services to our community. OBB is very familiar with this product and has implemented it in other areas they service.
The transition will be carried out with careful planning and minimal disruption to existing customers. Fortunately, the existing equipment has only been installed in three locations making the cutover quick, with as little disruption as possible for existing customers. OBB will be reaching out to those customers that are affected.
We would like to express our gratitude for your continued trust and support as we strive to improve the internet connectivity in our community. We firmly believe that this transition will significantly enhance your online experience and provide you with the connectivity you deserve.
Should you have any questions or concerns regarding this transition, please do not hesitate to reach out to Open Broadband or the Gloucester County Information Technology department at 804-693-1108. We will be more than happy to address any questions you may have.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation throughout this process.
Eric Beach
Chief Information Officer
Gloucester County
Update 4/5/2023
The work of VATI continues along Pampa, Owl Trap, Turks Ferry and Salem Church Roads in Gloucester and along the Eastern side of the North River in Mathews.
Open Broadband has narrowed down the placement of the equipment for the Page water tower and will have this information for the Gloucester Point water tower by next week.
Update 3/28/2023
Open Broadband is continuing to work on completing new installs.
OBB staff are actively working on site surveys and on locating hub locations.
Preparations are being completed to prepare for the towers that will require BZA (Board of Zoning Appeals) approval.
Update 3/20/2023
The placement of equipment on the former Page school water tower and the Gloucester Point water tower is being finalized.
Work has begun on locating hub sites for extending coverage.
Update 3/13/2023
Open Broadband has officially begun installing CBRS (Citizen Broadband Radio Systems) in Gloucester and Mathews. This is the LTE technology that is allowing Open Broadband to transmit internet to homes where point-to-point service is blocked or unavailable.
Technicians from Eastern North Carolina have been reassigned to work on the install list in this area.
Update 2/24/2023
Gloucester County is working with a third-party vendor, Open Broadband, LLC to implement wireless broadband to all areas of Gloucester. Our project is not tied to any other counties' implementation of broadband. Therefore, each County has their own contracts and vendors.
The first installation of technology used in Gloucester is awaiting Federal government approval.
Open Broadband is working to notify all the 131 VATI grant homes first. (Click link for more information on the VATI grant).
Then, they will begin contacting the 2,500 residences and businesses that are not served right now by Cox.
Finally, they will reach out to anyone in the County who desires Open Broadband.
Gloucester County has asked Open Broadband to move quickly now that the first towers are configured, and certification is days away.
If you have questions regarding Gloucester County's Broadband Initiative, contact Eric Beach, Gloucester's Director of Information Technology:
Franchise Agreements with Cox Communications
The current Franchise Agreement between Gloucester County and Cox Communications Hampton Roads, LLC (Cox Communications) for the provision of cable television service in the County expired on March 2, 2021. Cox Communications tendered the required notice to commence the renewal process of the franchise. The County solicited public input on the franchise agreement through a public hearing held October 2, 2018 and since January 2019 through the Telecommunications Committee, to receive public comment and input regarding the proposed franchise renewal. In order to receive citizen input on the proposed franchise renewal agreement, the Gloucester County Board of Supervisors conducted a public hearing. A copy of the current and draft proposed cable franchise agreement between Gloucester County and Cox Communications are available for review here: