releases: https://riggleman.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-denver-riggleman-celebrates-expansion-broadband-southside-virginia
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://riggleman.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-denver-riggleman-celebrates-expansion-broadband-southside-virginia | Congressman Denver Riggleman Celebrates Expansion of Broadband in Southside Virginia and the $3.7 million USDA Investment | 2019-11-04 | 2019 | 2019-11 | Republican | House | VA | Denver Riggleman | R000611 | riggleman.house.gov | legacy | Washington D.C.-CongressmanDenver Riggleman joined USDA Deputy Under Secretary of Rural Development Donald "DJ" LaVoy at a ceremony in Lawrenceville today awarding $3.7 million to expand broadband in rural Virginia. "Our rural communities need access to broadband to keep up with the demands of the modern economy," said Congressmen Riggleman. "Broadband will help communities close the digital divide which is critical to enhancing economic opportunity, job creation, access to healthcare, and education in rural America. This investment will go a long way in closing that divide." This award comes through the USDA's ReConnect Program. Congressman Riggleman hosted a ReConnect training seminarin March of this year to help localgovernments andcompanies learnhow to apply for the ReConnectprogram. The ReConnect Program offers loans, grants, and loan/grant combinations to facilitate broadband deployment in areas of rural America without sufficient access to broadband. Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative will use the $3.7 million funding to deploy a fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) broadband network capable of simultaneous transmission rates of 100 megabits per second (Mbps) or greater. The funded service areas include 1,254 households, two volunteer fire departments, and four educational facilities. The project will facilitate more access to services and information for local residents, and it will improve the overall quality of life for people in the community. To read the USDA's full press release, click here. Congressman Riggleman spoke at the ceremony awarding the funds this morning. You can read the Congressman's prepared remarks below. Thank you to Deputy Under Secretary LaVoy, Chairman Lee, and everyone here today for this fantastic announcement. I have made increasing access to broadband internet a focus of my time in Congress and on days like today, I celebrate that those efforts are starting to pay off. Our rural communities need access to broadband to keep up with the demands of the modern economy. Broadband will help communities close the digital divide which is critical to enhancing economic opportunity, job creation, access to healthcare, and education in rural America. I have been a backer of the USDA's Reconnect Program for RuralBroadbandand organized a training event to provide guidance on this program earlier this year. That is why this announcement brings me such joy. I want each and every community in the 5th district to have the internet access they need to achieve success in this modern economy. In too many communities across the 5th District, I hear stories of students using public library wi-fi because they couldn't get it at home. Or students denied the opportunity to get internet at all and consequently falling behind their peers in other areas with greater access. That we are here this morning to announce and celebrate this important investment in high-speed broadband infrastructure is a great thing for Brunswick, Mecklenburg, and the 5th District of Virginia. I will continue to work to expand access to broadband here in the 5th, and that work won't be done with just a quick snap of my fingers- it will take hard work and time. But we have already made great strides. In my first 10 months in Congress, I have worked across the aisleto pass an amendment that increasesfederal spending for ruralbroadbandby $55 million dollars. I established a RuralBroadbandTask Forcein the district to find solutions to the issues that face our constituents.I am a Member of the RuralBroadbandCaucus, a bipartisan group of lawmakers working to address internet connectivity issues in rural America. I am Working with the FCC, including in today's event,to improve itsbroadbanddata collection methods so we can better understand where more investment is needed to ensure rural America has access tobroadbandservices and infrastructure. I will continue to work for more broadband access, but also will celebrate days like today when this work has paid off. I want to thank again all the stakeholders here today who have worked so hard on making this project possible. Thank you again to the USDA for their work on this, thank you to everyone from the Mecklenburg Electric Co-op, and thank you all for your warm welcome today! | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |