Courtesy of Prince William County Communications

Prince William County is working to provide access to high-speed broadband to unserved and underserved areas across the county. The county awarded a contract to Verizon, following a competitive procurement process, to install fiber-optic infrastructure to 470 areas in the county. The project is expected to be completed by the summer of 2025, reducing the percentage of county residents without high-speed internet to less than 1.5%. This project is possible due to the Board of County Supervisors allocating $1.35 million from the county’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding. 

“The Board of County Supervisors recognizes the impact and the importance of having access to high-speed internet for the members of our community,” said Board of County Supervisors Chair At-Large Deshundra Jefferson. “This project brings us one step closer to ensuring that every county resident and business has access to high-speed internet and represents a real commitment to resolve chronic issues of technology access, affordability, and literacy across the county.”

In 2020, the Department of Information Technology (DoIT) identified the lack of access to high-speed internet as a critical issue threatening residents’ and local businesses’ immediate quality of life and economic survival. Some residents also identified the need for help to afford internet service and internet-enabled devices, as well as the need for knowledge of how to use them. In response to these issues, and a directive from the Board of County Supervisors, DoIT launched the Technology Inclusion Initiative (TII). 

As part of the initiative, DoIT identified locations in the county that lack or have insufficient internet access and developed a plan to eliminate those gaps. Additionally, the initiative has served more than 11,000 county residents by acquiring and funding free broadband hotspots, offered through partnerships with Prince William Public Libraries and Public Schools. As part of the initiative, the county has also sponsored more than 300 free, beginner-level technology classes for county residents through an online learning platform shared with other county partner agencies, including Prince William Public Libraries, Community Services and the Area Agency on Aging, as well as regionally through the Virtual Center for Active Adults – a partnership with Fairfax County, Arlington County and ServiceSource. Other county agencies that participate in the technology inclusion initiative include Social Services, Housing & Community Development, Parks & Recreation, Communications, Equity & Inclusion and Economic Development. 

“Prince William County is committed to delivering the best experiences possible to our community, and the county’s technology inclusion program is a great example of that,” said County Executive Chris Shorter. “This project helps to drive equity by ensuring that every household and business in the county has access to broadband, fostering connection and bridging the digital divide for those in our community.”

View the broadband expansion status map to learn more about the locations covered by this project.