ORANGE COUNTY, Va. – Orange County is pleased to announce it has been awarded a Virginia Telecommunications Initiative (VATI) grant in the amount of $2,138,416. This grant, administered by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, will provide targeted funding to expand broadband service to unserved areas of the county through FiberLync.
FiberLync is a fiber optic internet service provider established by the Orange County Broadband Authority (OBCA) to address a lack of reliable high-speed internet access. Before FiberLync, over 40% of Orange County residents had no access to any commercial high-speed internet provider. That has changed. Thanks to completed and currently underway fiber installation, more than 93% of all Orange County addresses will soon enjoy access through FiberLync or another provider, with speeds of up to one gigabit per second. The award of this grant will allow us to continue to bridge the digital divide by reaching residents in some of the most difficult-to-connect locations.
“Virginia continues to be a national leader for closing the digital divide, and today’s announcement brings us one step closer to becoming the first state in the nation to reach statewide universal broadband coverage,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin in a press release from his office. “In our increasingly digital world, having access to high-speed broadband isn’t a luxury; it’s a prerequisite to participate in daily life.”
“The Orange County Broadband Authority is committed to expanding access to reliable, affordable high- speed internet in Orange County,” said R. Mark Johnson, Chairman of the OCBA. “The receipt of this VATI grant will allow us to connect even more addresses to a service that is increasingly important for both business and everyday life,” he added.
Orange County residents interested in receiving FiberLync service should call (540) 360-0585 or visit join.fiberlync.net, to check current availability at their address.