Cogeco-owned Breezeline said it is tapping into government funding for broadband deployment with plans to extend its fiber network into King William County, Virginia, next year to target 1,200-plus unserved homes and businesses
Breezeline is funding the expansion along with a $1.5-million subsidy from the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, administered by the Federal Communications Commission. In a release quoting Breezeline VP of operations Sean Brushett, the company said it "completed the field walk out phase, the design phase is now underway, and we expect the construction phase to begin this fall.” The expansion is a multi-year initiative, it said.
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Breezeline said it's also expanding internet connectivity to about 7,500 unserved homes and businesses in eastern Caroline County and Essex County through a $15.2 million Virginia Telecommunication Initiative (VATI) grant, with additional contributions from Breezeline and the counties. The cable company said it finished construction earlier on a $7.2-million, 150-mile fiber-broadband expansion to more than 1,400 homes and businesses in Mathews, Caroline, Lancaster and Middlesex counties, also funded by VATI with contributions from Breezeline and the counties.