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Group begins high-speed internet inquiry
Can county residents expect to get high-speed internet connectivity at a reasonable cost in the near future?
That is the question county supervisors and economic development committee members are asking as they begin the process of looking into service providers’ plans for covering areas that do not have access to such connections.
Although portions of Berryville have access to high-speed service, other county residents have asked the Board of Supervisors to look into what would be required to expand it to their homes and offices at an affordable price.
A systems engineer for Verizon Wireless, Rob Barnhill, who is also a county resident, recently gave the Economic Development Advisory Committee an overview of that company’s perspective.
The biggest challenge, Barnhill said, is how best to provide the service while complying with the county’s 100-foot restriction on tower height, as well as how to economically work within its rolling, mountainous topography.
County ordinance states that a telecommunications antenna monopole cannot be more than 15 feet higher than the average height of surrounding trees and cannot exceed 100 feet overall, Zoning Administrator Jesse Russell noted.
Verizon Wireless, which has provided cellular service in the county for five years, has picked up subscribers since introducing broadband wireless service last December, Barnhill said.
“I can tell you the demand is out there,” he said.
But to significantly increase its coverage area, the company would need to locate six more sites for its antennae, Barnhill said. Building a communications tower costs approximately $1 million, he added.
And any drop in the subscription price over the next two to five years would be “marginal,” Barnhill said.
The committee plans to ask other providers to also give presentations, Chairman David Juday said. Barnhill’s comments gave them a chance to begin to delve into issues such as cost, topography, infrastructure, and zoning regulations -- all of which could affect whether a provider offers service, he noted.
“We just need realistic expectations,” Juday said.
The county might also want to consider seeking financial and technical assistance from the state and the Virginia Center for Innovative Technology to gain access to the service, Juday noted.
Contact the reporter at rmarlow@timespapers.com
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