Cable MSO Breezeline, a subsidiary of Cogeco Communications Inc. (TSX: CCA), says it has completed deployment of a 150-mile fiber-broadband network along the Virginia coast. The fiber will support the delivery of broadband services to more than 1,400 homes and businesses in Mathews, Caroline, Lancaster, and Middlesex counties within the state.
The $7.2 million price tag of the fiber network deployment was partially offset by a $4.2 million Virginia Telecommunication Initiative (VATI) grant administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). Breezeline paid $1.5 million of the remaining cost, with the counties pitching in the final $1.5 million. Breezeline activated the first homes served by the new fiber network in May 2022.
“We are excited to have completed the construction of this state-of-the-art fiber-broadband network to serve the homes and businesses of these four counties,” said William T. Newborg, director of grants and funding for Breezeline. “We are grateful to the Breezeline engineers, technicians, and contractors, as well as our dedicated community partners who have made it possible to successfully complete the project.”
The deployment is one of several Breezeline has pursued in the area via public/private partnerships. Other projects have leveraged funding from the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (also known as the CARES Act), among others, to completed other footprint expansion projects in Middlesex, Caroline, and King George counties in Virginia; St. Mary’s and Queen Anne’s counties in Maryland; and in Wolfeboro, NH.
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Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director and Associate Publisher, Lightwave
Stephen Hardy is editorial director and associate publisher of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report, part of the Lighting & Technology Group at Endeavor Business Media. Stephen is responsible for establishing and executing editorial strategy across the both brands’ websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products. He has covered the fiber-optics space for more than 20 years, and communications and technology for more than 35 years. During his tenure, Lightwave has received awards from Folio: and the American Society of Business Press Editors (ASBPE) for editorial excellence. Prior to joining Lightwave in 1997, Stephen worked for Telecommunications magazine and the Journal of Electronic Defense.
Stephen has moderated panels at numerous events, including the Optica Executive Forum, ECOC, and SCTE Cable-Tec Expo. He also is program director for the Lightwave Innovation Reviews and the Diamond Technology Reviews.
He has written numerous articles in all aspects of optical communications and fiber-optic networks, including fiber to the home (FTTH), PON, optical components, DWDM, fiber cables, packet optical transport, optical transceivers, lasers, fiber optic testing, and more.
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