ESVBA Board Meeting - Accomack Airport
Start: 03/10/2010 - 15:00
End: 03/10/2010 - 17:00
Monthly Meeting of the Board of Directors

ESVBA Board Meeting - ESVBA Office
Start: 04/14/2010 - 15:00
End: 04/14/2010 - 17:00
Monthly Meeting of the Board of Directors

ESVBA Board Meeting - Accomack Airport
Start: 05/12/2010 - 15:00
End: 05/12/2010 - 17:00
Monthly Meeting of the Board of Directors

ESVBA Board Meeting - Accomack Airport
Start: 06/09/2010 - 15:00
End: 06/09/2010 - 17:00
Monthly Meeting of the Board of Directors

The Eastern Shore of Virginia Broadband Authority has been formed to bring improved broadband and telecommunications services to the businesses and residents of the Eastern Shore of Virginia. The Authority is a public not for profit company created under the Virginia Wireless Service Authorities Act, Chapter 54.1 §15.2-543.1.1 et seq. and by a resolution of the Counties of Northampton and Accomack.

The Eastern Shore of Virginia Broadband Initiative is made up of three main projects:
1. The Southern Portion of the fiber backbone
2. The Northern Portion of the fiber backbone
3. The Last Mile (Community Networks)

The backbone will be an open access network allowing public companies to provide services to the businesses and residents of the Eastern Shore of Virginia.

The main goal of the first project within the initiative is to plan, design and construct a fiber backbone from Norfolk in the South to Cape Charles across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. This project is funded by NASA and will be installed by Mid Atlantic Broadband.

The second major project is to plan, design and construct the Northern Portion of the fiber backbone from Cape Charles to Wallops connecting with Maryland Broadband in the North. The backbone will follow the Railway ROW in this project. The Northern Portion project is funded by the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and the US Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA).

The third project is known as "The Last Mile". This project is the creation of the Community networks will be done in several phases and will be the construction of the access and distribution networks from the backbone to the Communities, Government, Hospital, Schools, Businesses and Residences. Priority will be given to our largest customers such as our schools, hospitals and government.

It is a regional and local effort that includes both Northampton and Accomack County and all the communities of the Eastern Shore of Virginia. The counties are providing project funding for the planning process of the Initiative.

The Eastern Shore of Broadband Authority Board is comprised of five (5) members from Accomack and Northampton Counties. The current Board members are:

Katie Nunez, Chair (chair@esvabroadband.net)
Mike Zodun, Vice Chair
Joseph Caffrey, Treasurer
Steven Miner
Dimitri Plionis

The project manager for the Broadband Initiative is Cheryl Tyson, MBA PMP. Cheryl can be contacted at ctyson@esvabroadband.net. General inquiries can be sent to info@esvabroadband.net.

The Accomack Northampton Planning District Commission is also providing project support for the initiative. Please visit there website for more detailed information about the Broadband Initiative including the Community Planning Study, Final Report Maps, a Fiber Speed Demonstration and Minutes at www.a-npdc.org/broadband.html.

Mailing Address: Post Office Box 449, Wachapreague, Virginia 23480
Physical Address: 36272 Lecato Road, Unit #21E, Belle Haven, Virginia 23306
Office Numbers: (757) 787-1390 / (757) 414-0304

~ Funds to Expand Availability of Broadband in Rural Communities on Eastern Shore ~

RICHMOND–Governor Timothy M. Kaine today announced an additional $1,000,000 grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to fund Phase IV of the Eastern Shore of Virginia Broadband Buildout. The project is projected to create 20 jobs and will be financed by the Community Development Block Grant – Recovery (CDBG-R) program. The Buildout had previously been identified as an alternate project, but funding was made available after portions of the first round of grants went unused.



“Today we are announcing an important project on Virginia’s Eastern Shore that will not only bring critical broadband infrastructure to the area, but will also create 20 new jobs as a result of the Recovery Act,” said Governor Kaine. “Broadband access is an important tool in the development and recruitment of business and I am confident that this grant will pay dividends in the short term and for years to come.”

The broadband project will create a broadband network to serve the towns of Nassawadox, Exmore, Willis Wharf and Belle Haven. It will allow for new and enhanced medical service through increased connectivity to major health care facilities such as the Shore Memorial Hospital, Shore Cancer Center, Eastern Shore Rural Health, Eastern Shore Community Services Board, and a large number of physicians groups.

Projects funded by the CDBG-R program must meet CDBG requirements in addition to American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) objectives such as timeliness and readiness; recovery act objectives; maximizing job creation and economic development benefit; and demonstration of a regional or statewide significance of the project.

“Projects funded through the CDBG-R must not only meet standard CDBG requirements, they must also assist those impacted by recession, invest in projects with long-range economic development benefits, and foster energy independence,” said DHCD Director Bill Shelton. “By providing broadband access to residents of the Eastern Shore, this project meets all of those goals and more.”

Governor Kaine has made the expansion of affordable broadband access a key part of his economic development efforts because of its transformative potential, especially in rural Virginia. Under Governor Kaine, the Commonwealth convened the Broadband Roundtable to develop a “last-mile” telecommunications blueprint for advancing his goal of ensuring broadband access for every Virginia business. During his term the Commonwealth also released the state’s first broadband availability map to give policy makers, local government leaders, and service providers a more detailed picture of broadband coverage in Virginia as they work to provide "last-mile" broadband in their communities.

For more information, visit: www.dhcd.virginia.gov.

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