Virginia nets almost $1.5 billion in federal broadband funds

Virginia has netted over $1.48 billion in federal funds to expand its broadband network following a state push to update the government’s map of where in Virginia the service is available.

The investment “brings us a giant step closer to achieving our goal of universal broadband coverage in Virginia,” said U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia, in a release. “We all know that access to fast, reliable, and affordable internet is crucial to ensuring our rural communities grow and thrive.”

Virginia received the sixth-largest award of the $42.5 billion being distributed through the federal Broadband, Equity, Accessibility and Deployment, or BEAD, grant program. The largest went to Texas, at $3.31 billion, followed by California, at $1.86 billion.

Southern neighbor North Carolina squeaked in just above the commonwealth at $1.53 billion.