The eighth largest cable operator in the United States will extend its fiber network to more than 1,200 unserved homes and businesses in King William County starting next year.
In a multi-year initiative funded by Breezeline and a $1.5 million subsidy from the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF), which is administered by the Federal Communications Commission, Breezeline will bring connectivity to homes and businesses. Fiber internet with symmetrical speeds up to 1Gig and the cloud-based “Stream TV” service will come to unserved areas of the county.
“We continue to make significant progress in our pre-construction planning,” said Sean Brushett, vice president of technical operations for Breezeline. “We have recently completed the field walk-out phase, the design phase is now underway, and we expect the construction phase to begin this fall.”
The activation phase begins in early 2024 to provide a powerful online experience for users with fast symmetrical download and upload speeds and low latency for video conferencing, distance learning, telemedicine and gaming.
Breezeline’s plan includes an introduction of “Stream TV,” a new cloud-based service that seamlessly integrates live TV, DVR, On Demand and popular streaming apps like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Max, and Disney+ for viewing on devices inside and outside the home via a single, easy-to-use interface.
Breezeline, a subsidiary of Cogeco Communications Inc. provides Internet, TV and Voice services in Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. Cogeco Communications Inc. also operates in Québec and Ontario, in Canada, under Cogeco Connexion. Cogeco Inc.’s subsidiary, Cogeco Media, owns and operates 21 radio stations as well as a news agency serving audiences primarily in the province of Québec.
Breezeline is also working to expand internet to nearly 7,500 unserved homes and businesses in eastern Caroline and Essex counties through a $15.2 million Virginia Telecommunication Initiative (VATI) grant, with additional contributions from Breezeline and the counties. Breezeline completed construction this spring 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.
Share
Rebecca Barnabi
