Why can't we get Broadband to Rural Virginia?
Rural families were promised broadband years ago. They’re still waiting while their utility company stalls, fights in court, and asks them to pay more. It’s time to connect Virginia.
Promised Broadband.
Still Waiting.
Across rural Virginia, about 133,000 homes, farms, and small businesses still can’t get reliable broadband even though Virginia already has $1.48 billion in federal funding lined up to connect them. The money exists. The plan exists. What’s missing is the connection.
For rural families, this means a kid doing homework in a fast-food parking lot, a farm that can’t run its business online, and a two-hour drive for something a telehealth visit could handle.
The Holdup isn't Money.
It's a Utility company.
Broadband can’t get built until providers can attach their lines to utility poles and Appalachian Power (APCo) has been dragging its feet. In February 2026, the FCC’s Rapid Broadband Assessment Team found that APCo broke the rules by overcharging to replace poles. Instead of complying, APCo has kept overcharging, and on July 7, 2026 Comcast again asked the FCC to step in and enforce its order.
Every month of delay is another month rural Virginia stays offline while the same company posts record profits, pays its executives millions, and asks the state to raise your rates.
The “Lawyer Tax”
Why should your bill go up so Appalachian Power can pay lawyers to fight the very broadband you were promised? We call it the “lawyer tax,” and we don’t think rural families should pay it.
When the Nearest ER Is an Hour Away
Out here, broadband isn’t a convenience, it can be the difference between life and death. A 2026 state report found 13 of Virginia’s 36 rural hospitals, more than a third, at risk of closing. When the nearest ER is an hour away, a telehealth visit can be the difference between care and no care, and every month APCo stalls puts that care further out of reach.
The Facts
133,000+
Virginia homes & businesses still waiting for broadband
$1.48B
in federal dollars ready to connect them
$200 vs. 20%+
the real cost to move a line vs. what APCo charges
$9.10/mo
APCo’s proposed rate increase on your bill
Take Action
1. Tell Washington to enforce the ruling
The FCC already ruled against Appalachian Power. Now it needs to make them follow it. Send a letter to your member of Congress and the FCC and tell them: enforce the order so broadband can finally get built. It takes two minutes, and a written message puts your demand on the record where regulators can’t ignore it.
2. Find a town hall
We’ll be holding town halls across rural Virginia. Come share your story, hear from your neighbors, and get plugged into the campaign.
Frequently Asked Questions
Broadband lines have to attach to utility poles to reach homes. When a pole needs work, the rules say the new provider only pays the extra cost of its attachment — not to fix problems the utility already let pile up. Federal regulators found APCo was overcharging, which slows the whole buildout.
Yes. The State Corporation Commission takes public comment and hears from public witnesses before it decides. A large, visible response from real Virginians is exactly what regulators and elected leaders pay attention to.
APCo’s residential customers will pay about $9.10 more a month for a typical household, part of a $61.4 million rate increase, if the Commission approves it.
Stay Connected
Rural Virginia deserves the broadband it was promised. Add your name and we’ll keep you posted on town halls, deadlines, and ways to help.