Mark Warner leads discussion on high-speed internet for rural Virginia

“We want to get to the information we need to serve our customers the best way we can and if we cannot get online and we’re kind of spoiled to having that kind of access,“ said Owner and President, Laura Mills.  “It’s very frustrating not having information.“

Mills started out with dial-up internet, then switched to a satellite provider, until she discovered cable broadband expanded to near her business.  But five miles away at her home, dial up is still her only option.

“We have a lot of businesses that are starting to establish on 460 so we need to make sure we can accommodate everybody,“ said Patrick Richardson, President of the Appomattox County Chamber of Commerce.

Former Governor Mark Warner is co-chairing a committee to address the problem.  Warner says in the next year, they hope to put some plans into action.

“This high-speed internet connection is absolutely key in terms of attracting 21st Century jobs.  I believe is perhaps the single most important economic development tool we can use,“ Warner said Thursday.

From looking up product information to mapquesting addresses for customers, Mills’s says reliable internet is a must for her business, and for attracting new businesses to rural Virginia.

One of the ideas discussed at Broadband Roudtable is wireless high-speed internet.  About one thousand homes and businesses in Appomattox are using wireless access through a pilot program that will soon expand coverage in that area.