DRG Helps Northern Neck Electric Cooperative Bring High Speed Internet To Members In Warsaw, VA

Northern Neck Electric Cooperative

Northern Neck Electric Cooperative and All Points Broadband partnered for an initiative to bring broadband internet to members in northeastern Virginia. DRG’s team of experts are helping to complete this mission with a full-scale service, including design and construction.

The Challenge

The digitization of daily life has caused reliable internet connection to become a basic necessity. According to the Federal Communications Commission, 22.3 percent of Americans in rural areas and 27.7 percent of Americans in Tribal lands lack coverage from broadband internet, in comparison to 1.5 percent of Americans in urban areas.

All Points Broadband started an initiative to bring high speed internet to rural and small communities in Virginia and Kentucky. As part of this effort, All Points partnered with Northern Neck Electric Cooperative in Warsaw, VA to start a fiber-to-the-home program for their members. This effort aligned with Northern Neck Electric Cooperative’s (NNEC) mission to improve quality of life in their communities.

To achieve NNEC’s and All Point’s mutual goal, NNEC called on Davey Resource Group (DRG) to help design and install the fiber connections.

The Solution

NNEC had no joint use management program in place to install the large amount of fiber lines necessary in the planned time frame, making the first step in the process pole data collection. In December 2021, DRG crews collected utility pole data on NNEC’s system. Once the data was collected and mapped, DRG used the information to create a fiber route and submit a joint use application on behalf of All Points.

Once accepted, DRG assisted NNEC with pole design to accommodate the fiber attachments through make-ready engineering, hand off the plans to a subcontractor for construction, then complete a post-construction inspection to ensure the attachment was in compliance with federal regulations.

DRG expects the project to be completed in early 2024.

The Results

NNEC members have taken note of DRG’s presence in their community and are excited to have the latest technology that will provide reliable and high-speed internet access to their homes and businesses.

The NNEC project is one of many projects All Points and DRG are completing together as part of the internet company’s effort to bring fiber connections to rural communities throughout Virginia. For these rural communities, access to high-speed internet will enable efficient, modern communication between households, schools, healthcare centers, and businesses.

Northern Neck Electric Cooperative had no joint use management program in place to install large amounts of fiber lines. NNEC called Davey Resource Group to help.

DRG collected data on NNEC’s poles and mapped it to create a fiber route and joint use application.

DRG assisted NNEC with pole design to accomodate the fiber attachments through make-ready engineering.

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