All Points Broadband on scheduled to deliver service this year to Northern Neck
Although All Points Broadband (APB) got off to a late start with its regional internet project, the company is on schedule to be complete by Q4 2023 and to start connecting customers in Northumberland in the latter part of this year, vice president of business development Tom Innes said during an update last week.
The regional broadband project is supposed to bring over 300 miles of fiber to Northumberland and offer high-speed internet service to about 2,040 locations that are currently unserved.
In February and March, Dominion Energy has been starting construction of the middle mile fiber, which is the larger line that APB will build out from to deliver broadband to users.
Right-of-way and pole attachment crews that are seen working in the area are verifying right-of-way plans and plats, and on the pole attachment, they’re verifying the heights of existing infrastructure and beginning the make-ready process. While that work is part of moving this project forward, those crews are not the crews that will be installing the fiber to customers’ premises, Innes clarified.
Those awaiting broadband need not be concerned about the availability of hardware when APB’s final mile construction begins. Despite ongoing supply chain issues, the company has been successful in securing not only the inventory for its projects but also manufacturing capacity for fiber and related items, said Innes.
Dominion will continue its middle mile construction through Q3 of 2022, and with that timeline, APB plans to also start installation for Northumberland customers in the third quarter of this year.
As of last Thursday, APB had 717 locations in Northumberland that had pre-registered for service. Innes encouraged anyone in or near the project area to go to fiber.allpointsbroadband.com to verify whether you’re in the first phase of the project and to pre-register if interested. There’s no obligation for those who express interest in service, he said.
Those who don’t register now won’t be counted out, however. Innes said APB will notify households in the distribution area when they can sign up, and the company will provide information about the plans and the construction timeline well in advance of customers making a decision.
Recently, the company went out with representatives from the county to explore currently unserved areas. APB expects to do more of those site visits as the time grows closer to light customers.
Meanwhile, the company will be working with the Northern Neck Planning District Commission to prepare the required documentation for the 2022 VATI award and to keep up with the reporting and compliance requirements for funding from previous years.