Montgomery County, City of Radford Launch Broadband Plan

On March 21, Montgomery County issued a Request for Proposals seeking consultant services that will support the development of a broadband plan for both Montgomery County and the City of Radford.

The intent of the study is to:

• assess current broadband coverage gaps;
• analyze infrastructure needed to deliver broadband service;
• utilize data from a forthcoming community-wide survey;
• receive input from a project management team comprised of broadband stakeholders in the public, private and citizen sectors; and
• create sample partnership agreements the local governments may use to support future deployment solutions.

The RFP can be found by visiting https://www.montgomerycountyva.gov/purchasing/current-bids-rfps. Responses to the Request for Proposals are due by 3:00 p.m. on April 25, 2019.

The project management team will review the proposals and make a recommendation to Montgomery County for selecting a contractor. The plan development process is anticipated to last six months with a final plan anticipated in the fall of 2019. The intent is to utilize the plan to prioritize implementation projects that will address access issues to un-served and under-served areas.

Montgomery County and the City of Radford are partnering with the New River Valley Regional Commission to administer the plan development process. The Regional Commission will be issuing a community-wide survey for citizens and businesses in April.  Preparation of the broadband plan is being supported with funding from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development through the Community Development Block Grant Program.

For more information or to set up an interview, contact Kevin Byrd, Executive Director, 540-639-9313 or kbyrd@nrvrc.org.

About New River Valley Regional Commission
The New River Valley Regional Commission is one of 21 regions in Virginia whose commissions are chartered under Virginia law. The organization encompasses the counties of Floyd, Giles, Montgomery, and Pulaski, and the City of Radford. The purpose of the Regional Commission is to promote regional cooperation, to coordinate the activities and policies of member local governments, and to provide assistance to local governments.