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A new broadband provider in the Shenandoah Valley aims to provide connections to residents of the city.
City Council unanimously approved at its September 15 meeting a three-year right-of-way license agreement for Shentel that will allow the Edinburgh-based company, more officially known as Shenandoah Cable Television LLC, to d ‘operate in the city.
The deal has been in the works for about 10 months, according to Deputy City Manager Kevin Hughes.
He noted the city’s multi-faceted strategy to increase broadband access in Suffolk and said it would offer competition – currently the city’s only broadband provider is Charter Communications, which operates under the Spectrum brand in the city – and new service points.
“It’s more options in more places,” said Hughes.
Various city officials and staff have been involved in the efforts to bring Shentel to the city, Hughes said, including the city manager’s office, the city attorney’s office, information technology the city and other staff.
The city has also retained the services of an external consultant with respect to telecommunications due to the special nature of the proposal.
Shentel plans to install what it calls its Glo Fiber network, a 100% fiber network that offers high-speed bandwidth, as well as symmetrical bandwidth, which means upload and download speeds would be equal.
Hughes said that over the past 10 months the town has spoken to several other broadband service providers, but has found Shentel “extremely responsive and open to our needs in the town of Suffolk, and so it really has. started to guide our interactions with Shentel more than with anyone else.
Within six months, Hughes said the city would begin to put in place and finalize a cable franchise agreement with Shentel “which will talk a little more about specifics related to the regulations that we can expand the network.”
Shentel will still need to apply for a right-of-way permit before construction can begin.
Shentel is reportedly looking to provide broadband service to several areas of the city, including from the James River across the Harbor View / Bridge Road area at the north end of the city, along Shoulders Hill Road and Nansemond. Parkway near the town line with Chesapeake, as well as the Godwin Boulevard area near Chuckatuck and the Isle of Wight county line and southeast to downtown.
It would also seek to provide services in the central growth area and then on Holland Road, close to industrial development.
“It would represent an entry into the market,” said Hughes.
Chris Kyle, vice chairman of the company, said the deal was a first step in entering the broadband market in Suffolk.
“We want to come here (and) we want to build a fiber network,” Kyle said.
He described the project as potentially transformative for the city.
“It’s not an easy project,” Kyle said. “This is the first step. There will be a lot of permits, there will be a lot of construction afterwards.
He said that once it gets started, Shentel would like to work with the city to apply for a state grant in the next round of funding next year to expand broadband service in the southern part of the city. city.
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