Tobacco money awarded for SW Va. technology projects 

By KEVIN CASTLE
KINGSPORT TIMES NEWS
Published September 3,2005

http://www.timesnews.net/article.dna?_StoryID=3542448

ABINGDON - Broadband deployment in the region now has a financial backbone fused with tobacco dollars following an announcement Friday in the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center's Grand Hall.

Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission members Delegate Terry Kilgore, R-Gate City, and Sen. William Wampler Jr., R-Bristol, were flanked by fellow board members as the group announced $23.1 million in technology grants, including $7.8 million for Bristol Virginia Utilities (BVU) for six projects.

"This commission has been criticized somewhat for the placement of tobacco dollars. I can tell you that these are smart investments that are going to help progress our region, its economy and our educational resources,'' said Wampler.

According to data released by the commission, BVU plans to use its allotment for fiber-optic installation in Washington County, Va., and in the towns of Abingdon, Saltville and Chilhowie.

Another project financed by BVU with tobacco funds will help expand fiber lines from Rural Retreat in Wythe County to Bluefield in Tazewell County.

Although broadband capabilities will help strengthen key attributes for economic development in the area, Wampler says the public should not forget what this type of technology does for local school systems.

"Take for instance the Linwood Holton Virtual Governor's School here in Abingdon. This allows our best and brightest to do such things as map the moons of Saturn through a high-powered telescope, all powered through broadband,'' said the senator.

Lenowisco Inc., a not-for-profit business created by the Lenowisco Planning District Commission to help preside over a project that has laid miles of next-generation Internet-accessible fiber-optic line throughout Lee, Scott and Wise counties, received $1.5 million from tobacco officials to further its efforts of making broadband more accessible in those localities.

Although the Scott County Telephone Cooperative has joined with Lenowisco in donating available phone line space for the project, the company also has plans to bring commercial and residential broadband service to the town of Gate City, an effort that was enhanced Friday with a $3.3 million grant.

"We want to get those locally owned businesses in Gate City online and help them expand their bottom line by offering their products to everyone,'' said SCTC representative Greg Hood, who did note the scale of their fiber-optic project in the town will be scaled back somewhat after initially filing for a $6 million grant.