Henry County Delays Rural Broadband to July 2027 After RiverStreet Failure

1 articles · Updated · WDBJ · Aug 14

Six years into Henry County’s rural broadband push, officials scrapped RiverStreet and reset the project with ZiTel, pushing expected service for unconnected areas to at least July 2027.
RiverStreet failed to finish the build after running into financing problems, County Administrator Dale Wagoner said, forcing the county to terminate the original agreement and start over.
Grant funding remains secured, and the county says ZiTel is ready to proceed and will provide fiber-to-the-home service once construction milestones are met.
Martinsville City Schools Superintendent Zebedee Talley said the delay keeps rural students without home internet at an educational disadvantage, a gap first highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic.