(TNS) — Spotsylvania County is among more than a dozen localities awarded millions of dollars in grants to help hook up rural localities across Virginia to the internet. On Wednesday, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced the approval of $41 million in grants for 10 broadband projects in 20 localities lacking service from providers.
Of that portion, Spotsylvania County will receive $10.3 million to extend broadband service primarily in two large rural districts, Livingston and Berkeley. The grant funding “brings us one step closer to becoming the first state in the nation to reach statewide universal broadband coverage,” Youngkin said in a statement.
“In our increasingly digital world, having access to high-speed broadband isn’t a luxury; it’s a prerequisite to participate in daily life.” The grants come through the Department of Housing and Community Development. The projects were chosen through a competitive process based on the “need and benefit for the community, applicant readiness and capacity, and the cost and leverage of the proposed project,” according to the governor’s office statement.
There were 25 applications for the grants, seeking more than $170 million. Spotsylvania garnered the second highest grant award, behind only the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission's $12.2 million for various jurisdictions in the Charlottesville area.
Spotsylvania Board of Supervisors member Kevin Marshall, who represents the Berkeley District, has been.