The state of Virginia is so far away from Silicon Valley, that we never almost ever think about it. It is also so far ahead in terms of trying to take control of its broadband destiny. Virginia’s Gov. Timothy M. Kaine wants all businesses in his state to have broadband by 2010.
Richmond Times-Dispatch has a wonderful overview of the state’s broadband efforts. From the article, you gather that since 1998, about $312.9 million has been invested in the state’s broadband infrastructure and a large chunk of the funding has come from FCC.
But more than that, it is the $67.6 million that the state got as a result of the 1998 national tobacco settlement, that has helped Virginia realize some of its broadband dreams. A big portion of that money went into a brand new Intra Muni-Network, the Mid-Atlantic Broadband Cooperative (MBC), which connects widespread communities with fiber, and is the cornerstone of this broadband makeover. (see maps below the fold)
Using about $31.9 million over three years, MBC has put together a 700-mile fiber network. MBC fiber network is actually two networks – a long haul network that spans from Atlanta in the South to Ashburn in the North. The other network is one that connects smaller communities in the Southern and South Western Virginia.
MBC General Manager Tad Deriso in an earlier interview told me that the network that is built using Infinera DTNs can offer 100 gigabit connections, should anyone want it. The network which went operational in October 2006, is offering service at prices some 30%-60% below that of the competition. In some cases, their prices are more than 75% below those of existing carriers.
The abundance of bandwidth (thanks to MBC), space and power is making Virginia an attractive destination for new data centers, thereby bringing much needed investment and jobs to the state. Deriso told us that Google was building out a data center in Ashburn and MBC was providing connectivity. “We have private investors turning a warehouse into a new data center,” he said. Some estimate that MBC will lead to the creation of between 2000 and 3000 jobs over the next five years.
This MBC fiber is the cornerstone of Virginia’s broadband makeover. Several companies like Ashburn-based DigitalBridge Communications Corp. are going to use MBC fiber to power their wireless networks, which in turn will service businesses and residents. Other local companies, and phone cooperatives have plans to use Mid-Atlantic’s fiber to offer services.
MBC, to my mind is a good example of a lean-and-focused telecom operator aware of the competitive landscape and using technology to its advantage. I am sure there will be others who will follow their model, but for now, it is one of a kind. How far Virginia gets in is quest for universal broadband, remains to be seen. It is encouraging to see that the state making all the right moves.
you might be surprised by how many readers you have in Va. Perhaps you should use the inclusive “we”.
“…thereby bringing much needed investment and jobs to the state.”
Much needed jobs? Last I checked, Virginia’s unemployment rate was half that of California’s.
Getting broadband to businesses is only half the battle, the other half is getting them to utilize it. Many businesses are still only using computers (if at all) for word processing. Till businesses understand the benefits and can (cost-effectively) take advantage of those benefits, we’ll still see only marginal broadband utilization.
And who did MBC get the long haul fiber from for that Atlanta to Ashburn link? XO, another Virginia-based company.
http://xo.com/news/308.html
True. We also have a very good FIOS build-out throughout much of Northern Virginia. They don’t call it the “Silicon Dominion” for nothing.
MBC plans are truly comcastic! In areas that are dominated by the larger telecom entities (such as Silicon Valley) we will never see options such as this.
I look at this as a tech-catalyst for the entire state of Virgina, something the Internet was created for in the first place. Here’s to hoping other states will follow suit and afford all businesses (large and small) equal opportunity.
PatrickMC,
good points you make, but despite less unemployment, the state does face some tough choices as tobacco farming and related industries go away. in fact they have a chance to become a model for other states and help become hubs for in-sourcing trend, which i suspect is going to be gaining strength.
David
you make a great point and i do think state will need to do the “education” as well. i was just checking around and they have formed groups to do exactly that – how to use broadband for business. if you want, i can post some links for you.
So far ? Hardly think of us ? Virginia is and has always been the heart of the Internet. NIST, NSF, the government, the start of the Internet, PSI, Sprint, iMCI, Worldcomm, MFS, UUnet, AT&T, AOL, and today TWC, Sprint-Nextel, NII, and tons of startups … Home of MAE-East, one of the orginal naps … we ARE the heart of the Internet!!
There are really two Virginia’s. One is Northern Virginia, and is, in a very real sense, the capital of the Internet – or at least. a viable competitor for Silicon Valley. We don’t make mashups or AJAX-y web2.0ish things – the folks in NoVA tend to build and run the world’s biggest Internet networks. Note where this fiber network ends: Equinix Ashburn, one of the world’s largest Internet Exchange Points (IXP) and the true successor to MAE-EAST.
The other Virginia, Om, may be the one you are pondering. Its much poorer, has tobacco farmers, and doesn’t have great broadband penetration. But I suspect many of your readers are from the former Virginia, not the latter.
Next time you come and visit Virginia, give me a call, and I’ll give you the nickel Internet Virginia tour.
MBC is now working with the Governors committee on bringing wireless broadband to the rural communities. We, Tiamet, are just one of several rural WISP’s. Our backbone is MBC fiber. The committee has found that the least expensive, quickest method to bring broadband to rural customers/businesses is wireless. It’s true, we often have to show people the advantages and new uses of high speed. But once the customers use it, they love it. A lot of our customers are taking college courses over the internet and are grateful to have the high speed.
Om, as an entrepreneur in Virginia, I can definitely say the state in a well kept secret for business. Recent reports are starting to show this. In addition to the comment above, Virginia actually has led the US in tech job growth over the past two years. In addition, Forbes recently named it best state for business (http://www.tmarkiewicz.com/forbes-ranks-virginia-the-best-state-for-business/). Not too shabby.