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Orange Co. working to expand broadband access
ORANGE COUNTY, Va. (WVIR) - Orange County-based FiberLync is working to connect people to high-speed internet across the county.
The county faces a lot of obstacles - from funding to supply chain shortage - and this project is 15 years in the making.
FiberLync CEO and Chairman of the Board James White says they started trying to gather interest, but came up short when they took their plan to the public.
“We took that to the public, to the internet service providers that were around the area, and said, ‘We have this. We’d like for you to come in and partner with us and utilize that network to help reach the homes and businesses throughout the county.’ We got no response. Literally no response to a formal solicitation,” White said.
The silence didn’t stop them, though.
“Out of frustration, we said, ‘OK, we’re not going to get any help. We’re going to see what we can do ourselves.’ So we put together a business plan that was ultimately adopted in early 2020,” White said.
FiberLync says it is still working to get more funding as it continues to lay down lines.
“The reality is this will go on for a few years yet, in all likelihood, might involve other technologies other than fiber to the home,” White said.
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