Botetourt Co. Aims for County-wide Connectivity, BEAD to provide $12.8 Million Broadband Award   Botetourt County, VA (Nov. 26, 2025) – Botetourt County has reached a major milestone in its long-term effort to make reliable, high-speed internet available to all corners of the County. Internet service providers have been awarded $12.8 million through the Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program to provide service to more than 1,000 currently unserved locations in Botetourt County. The BEAD funding will result in approximately 96% of Botetourt locations having access to Fiber to the Home (FTTH) service. The investment marks the latest chapter in Botetourt’s broadband journey, which began in 2017 with the creation of the Broadband Commission and a survey to identify service gaps. Since then, the County has advanced toward county-wide connectivity through state and federal grants, local partnerships and community advocacy. Botetourt County Board of Supervisors members Mac Scothorn and Amy White have championed broadband expansion as a critical priority for Botetourt families, schools, and businesses. “We have been fighting for broadband connections in Arcadia for a long time, and it is wonderful to finally see this funding approved,” Board Chair, Amy White said. “County residents need the option to have reliable broadband in their homes and businesses,” said Dr. Mac Scothorn, Board Vice-Chair. “I am really proud that approval for additional broadband funding has been secured.” BEAD Award Funding Breakdown for Botetourt County Comcast – $12.7 million for FTTH service to 859 locations Amazon Kuiper – $79,000 for low earth orbit (LEO) satellite service to 132 locations SpaceX – $25,000 for low earth orbit (LEO) satellite service to 47 locations The Next Steps Late 2025 – Early 2026: Federal approval and contract negotiations 2026–2029: Construction of broadband infrastructure Broadband Journey in Botetourt County 2017 – Broadband commission established and community survey conducted 2018 – Broadband summit held; county-wide fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) goal adopted 2019 – $758,000 VATI award to CBEC for 621 locations 2021 – $1.3 million VATI award to Lumos for 548 locations 2022 – $3.08 million VATI award to Lumos for 1,901 locations 2024 – $395,000 VATI award to Comcast for 62 locations 2025 – $12.8 million BEAD award for 1,038 locations Visit botetourtva.gov/broadband for more information on Botetourt County’s broadband journey.

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