ROANOKE (WSLS 10) - The Roanoke Valley Broadband Authority celebrated its high-speed Internet network on Tuesday.
The authority's first customer is Blue Ridge Public Broadcasting Station.
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The network is shared throughout Botetourt and Roanoke counties as well as Salem and Roanoke cities.
Leaders of the project hope the open-access fiber optic infrastructure could help attract more businesses.
"It's a really exciting opportunity for us," said Jennifer Eddy, the chief strategist of Eddy Communications. "It's a way to engage the community and challenge innovators to step up to the plate and see what people do with it."
A task force for this project was formed in 2012.