BOTETOURT COUNTY, Va. – Botetourt County’s brand-new Colonial Elementary School is filled with top-notch technology; however, just over a week ago, stepping into the school was like stepping back in time as the school was off the grid for a month. She worked with county leaders, Blue Ridge Towers and BriscNet to come up with a fix and found a temporary solution, a portable tower. A temporary, portable internet tower sits in the parking lot of the new Colonial Elementary School in Botetourt County. It’s as important as water, as electricity, as natural gas, as the septic system,” said Botetourt County Administrator Gary Larrowe. “We have about 85% of the individuals being served right now, but we still have people that aren’t,” said Dr. Mac Scothorn, who chairs both the Botetourt County Board of Supervisors and the Botetourt Broadband Commission.

FRANKLIN COUNTY, Va. With more and more families working and learning from home, Franklin County leaders signed a $4.6 million dollar deal on Tuesday to boost broadband service in the county. Phase 1 of the project will provide faster internet service to about 20,000 homes, which is more than half the county. The countys got to play a significant role in putting these puzzle pieces together for our citizens and for our businesses, said Franklin County Supervisor Lorie Smith. Over the next month or two, Blue Ridge Towers will begin construction on eight new wireless towers and additions to four existing towers. The system will provide internet speeds from 25-100 mbps.

BOTETOURT COUNTY, Va. - With the ceremonial cut of a ribbon, the 130-foot communication tower disguised as a silo on the back side of Blue Ridge Park officially became operational. It is the first such tower the National Park Service has ever allowed to be built along the Blue Ridge Parkway. "This is one of the few times in my career where I'm proud of myself," Blue Ridge Towers CEO Anthony Smith said. The tower will also be used to provide broadband service to people who live and work around Blue Ridge Park. There's no timeline for the 13 other towers Blue Ridge Towers hopes to build.