HURLEY BROADBAND ANNOUNCEMENT

November 13, 2009

Hurley, Virginia

          I am pleased to return to Hurley today to mark another major success in our effort to expand high-speed Internet services throughout Southwest Virginia. 

At my urging, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, through its Rural Utilities Service is awarding a grant of nearly $1 million to establish high speed Internet services in the community of Hurley.

More than fifteen years ago, I encouraged local governments throughout the Ninth District to find a means of deploying broadband networks so that affordable high-speed Internet access would be available to businesses and residents throughout our region.  My goal in making this recommendation was to set our region apart in comparison to other rural areas of the nation, to make us more attractive than the typical rural region to industries looking to expand their operations into new locations, and to create technology-based jobs for Southwest Virginians.

          Today, I am pleased to note that many of the communities in our region are making great strides in the deployment of broadband networks, and much of the work has been accomplished with the assistance of the grant and loan programs provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service, which marked the 60^th anniversary of its telecommunications programs this year.

When the telecommunications programs were established in 1949, only one in three farms in rural America had access to telephone service, and with the benefit of the federal funding provided by the Rural Utilities Service millions of families have received vital communications services.  Today, the Rural Utilities Service provides financing to expand access to high-speed Internet services for homes and businesses, distance learning opportunities for students and telemedicine programs which provide distant medical services to community clinics.

With the assistance of the Rural Utilities Service Community Connect Broadband Grant program, this year broadband networks have been established in the Mechanicsburg community of Bland County and the Trammel Community in Dickenson County, and yesterday we launched a new broadband network for the Yuma community in Scott County. Additional broadband networks will soon serve the Tannersville community in Tazewell County and the Blackwater community in Lee County.  And last month, I announced that federal funding will be awarded to establish Internet services in the Grant community of Grayson County and the Carbo community of Russell County.

Today, we are announcing the latest step in our efforts to expand high-speed Internet services throughout Southwest Virginia. The Rural Utilities Service has awarded a grant of $997,015 to establish high speed Internet services for the residents of the northern end of the Hurley community as well as the Hurley Family Medical Center and the Knox Creek Volunteer Fire Department. In addition, a computer center will be opened in downtown Hurley to provide free and open access to Internet services to Hurley residents at convenient times.

With the benefit of the federal funds, Inter Mountain Cable will construct a hybrid fiber-coaxial cable to the premise network to serve the nearly 1000 residents in the northern end of the Hurley community, including Paw-Paw, Rockhouse, Guesses Fork and Race Fork. Inter Mountain Cable has an extensive hybrid fiber-cable network in eastern Kentucky and southern West Virginia including 1100 miles of hybrid fiber-cable. With the benefit of the federal funds announced today, Inter Mountain Cable will construct an additional 45 miles of its hybrid fiber-cable into Hurley, replacing the cable television plant and overlaying fiber.

In addition, Inter Mountain Cable will establish a computer access center equipped with the latest computer equipment to provide free and open access to Internet services to Hurley residents at convenient times. The computer center will also offer basic computer and Internet workshops.

I would like to note that high-speed Internet services are available in the southern end of Hurley from Time-Warner Cable. The funds announced today will make Internet services available in the northern part of the Hurley community.

          Just as first canals, then railroads and then highways were the major arteries of commerce in earlier eras, in the 21^st Century, access to broadband will be a defining feature of economic success for rural communities. Step by positive step our expanding broadband infrastructure is assuring that Southwest Virginia’s communities will be at the center of economic opportunity.

          I would like to thank Jessica Zufolo, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service, for her efforts on behalf of this project and for joining us today. I would also like to thank Ellen Davis, State Director for the Rural Development Agency, and her excellent staff for their outstanding work to expand access to high speed Internet services across Virginia.

          I also want to recognize James Campbell, Paul Gearheart and Roy Harlow of Inter Mountain Cable for their efforts to provide broadband access to their customers and their work to expand services to the Hurley community.

          Terry Hall, who represents the Knox Creek District on the Buchanan County Board of Supervisors, deserves our thanks today for his tireless efforts on behalf of this community.

          Finally, I would like to recognize Laura Lee my Deputy Chief of Staff for the work she has performed for this project.  I place a high priority in my office in obtaining successes much like the one we celebrate today, and Laura’s work is vital to our efforts to deploy new broadband technology throughout Southwest Virginia.

          The high-speed Internet services that will soon be available in Hurley are an example of what can be achieved when government officials at the local and federal levels work together and cooperate in aid of a common purpose.  For that cooperation and successful work in providing high-speed Internet service for the Hurley community, I want to commend all here and offer special congratulations to the residents who will be receiving this service.