Culpeper County is moving forward with a new broadband provider–one familiar to Orange County residents.
Last week, county officials announced they would be moving forward with FiberLync as the county’s new broadband partner. The Orange County based provider was chosen from among three submissions to a request for proposals. The other two providers were Firefly and Comcast. That RFP was issued in May after the county cut ties with previous partner All Points Broadband (APB) who failed to meet project deadlines, only successfully connecting one customer nearly a year after its proposed original completion date.
FiberLync was established in 2016 and is owned and operated by the Orange County Broadband Authority created by the Orange County Board of Supervisors. The county created the entity after recognizing the importance of providing access to affordable, high-speed broadband to its residents and has a mission and vision of bringing a fiber optics network to areas of the Piedmont Region. Since its inception, approximately 93% of the county has access to high-speed internet, up from 40% prior.
Unlike APB, FiberLync installs its own fiber underground. Operations manager Joshua Crawford said by installing its own fiber underground, the infrastructure is less prone to damage and also doesn’t rely on co-locating on utility poles, something APB had once pointed to as a reason for their delayed progress.
In addition to serving Orange County, Crawford said FiberLync already serves customers in Madison, Albemarle and Spotsylvania County, focusing on areas neighboring the Orange County infrastructure. He said areas in Culpeper adjacent to Orange County will be served first.
“We’ll push from our infrastructure into Culpeper County,” Crawford said.
In order to serve the additional area, Crawford said the FiberLync team will grow to meet the new demand while also serving existing customers.
Hundreds of Culpeper County residents have already expressed their desire to connect to FiberLync, signing up through the company’s website which allows anyone to enter their address to determine if their area is eligible. Crawford said the site often captures residents throughout the state who are seeking high-speed broadband.
“FiberLync has already received 475 pre-registrations for our service in Culpeper County,
and we look forward to working with Culpeper County and helping their residents achieve
access to high-speed internet,” he said. “We intend to provide the same proven service to our neighbors as we do in Orange County.”
Residential packages start at $54.99 per month for a download speed of up to 250Mbps and an upload speed of up to 125Mbps. Packages increase to $74.99 and $89.99 for higher speeds. There is no charge for standard installation up to 1,000 feet. Additional distance is charged at a rate of $1.50 per foot.
“We have seen the success of FiberLync in recent years and admire their desire to continue to grow beyond the borders of Orange County to help more rural residents in the region access high-speed internet,” Culpeper County Board of Supervisors Chairman David Durr said. “We are excited to partner with them so that our residents can also benefit from the services they provide.”
Crawford is expected to make a presentation to Durr and the board at the Nov. 5 meeting. Culpeper County has issued a notice of intent to award a contract and will continue to refine the agreement terms and project scope over the coming months. The county and FiberLync also plan to partner on any funding opportunities that should arise.
Meanwhile, Firefly Fiber Broadband continues to make progress in Madison County. As of Oct. 8, more than 1,200 locations in the county have been connected.
