Southwest Virginia Moves to "High-Fiber" Diet

Virginia economic development officials understand the importance of "being connected" to compete. A $1.7 million grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration to the Cumberland Plateau Planning District and the Bristol Virginia Utilities Board will allow for the deployment of high-capacity optical fiber along the right of way of 51 miles of existing American Electric Power lines in Russell and Tazewell Counties. Tazewell and Russell counties are each contributing $355,000 toward the cost of the $2,365,000 project. In addition to strengthening the Internet connectivity of existing businesses and citizens, local officials plan to "wire" their local small business incubator.

This is a good example of how local officials can work together through a regional strategy to increase their capacity for economic development. I also like the way these officials cobbled together a funding strategy for the fiber optics project. American Electric Power (AEP) played an important role in this project. This is exactly how projects of this sort should be approached.

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