Shenandoah County Goes Gigabit: A Model for America's Digital Divide

EDINBURG, VA – December 11, 2025 – In the rolling hills of Shenandoah County, a quiet technological revolution has just concluded. Shenandoah Telecommunications Company (Shentel) has officially completed a transformative $50 million project, extending gigabit-speed fiber optic internet to over 7,000 homes and businesses that were previously stranded on the wrong side of the digital divide. This achievement is not just a local infrastructure upgrade; it represents a powerful case study in how public-private partnerships can effectively tackle one of America's most persistent challenges: ensuring equitable access to the digital economy.

The project, a collaboration between the locally-headquartered Shentel, Shenandoah County, and the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (VADHCD), was funded through a combination of Shentel's private capital, a county contribution, and a significant grant from the Virginia Telecommunications Initiative (VATI), a nationally recognized program designed to spur broadband deployment in unserved areas.

A New Era of Connectivity

For thousands of residents in the more remote corners of the county, the concept of “high-speed internet” was once a frustratingly distant promise. Many households struggled with connections that fell far below the modern definition of broadband, which the state now considers a minimum of 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload speeds. This digital disparity created significant barriers to remote work, online education, modern agriculture, and telehealth services.

“Readily available broadband and high-speed internet have become standard expectations for prospective businesses and their workforce in today's increasingly digital economy,” said Jenna French, the county's Director of Tourism and Economic Development. She praised the partnership with Shentel for its ability to deliver service “even in the most rural of locations.”

The impact is expected to be profound. Access to gigabit speeds levels the playing field, enabling students to participate in online learning without buffering, patients to consult with doctors remotely, and entrepreneurs to launch and grow businesses from their homes. Local industries, including the region's vital hospitality and tourism sector, can now offer the connectivity that visitors and patrons expect.

This long-awaited upgrade was a strategic priority for local leadership. “Even before grants were available, the Board of Supervisors understood that there were underserved areas in the county without high-speed broadband availability,” reflected Josh Stephens, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors. He noted that when VATI funding became an option, the county chose Shentel, a decision he called “the best decision” due to the company's commitment and exemplary communication throughout the project.

The Public-Private Partnership Playbook

The success in Shenandoah County provides a compelling blueprint for how to bridge the digital divide on a larger scale. The project’s success hinges on the VATI model, which has become the cornerstone of Virginia's strategy to achieve universal broadband coverage. The program incentivizes private internet service providers to take on the high costs of last-mile fiber construction in sparsely populated areas by supplementing their investment with public funds.

Since 2017, VATI has awarded hundreds of millions in state and federal funds to over 100 projects, aiming to connect approximately 370,000 locations across the Commonwealth. “We are very pleased that Shenandoah County and Shentel were able to successfully complete their broadband expansion projects through our Virginia Telecommunication Initiative,” said Maggie Beal, Director of the VADHCD. “This initiative reflects the Commonwealth’s commitment to expanding opportunity, strengthening local infrastructure and ensuring every resident has access to the tools they need to fully participate in the 21st Century.”

This model of shared investment and risk is gaining national attention, especially as states prepare to deploy nearly $1.5 billion in federal funding allocated to Virginia through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. With some other grant-funded projects in the state facing delays, the timely completion in Shenandoah County stands out as a testament to effective collaboration and execution, offering valuable lessons for future deployments.

Shentel's Rural Bet Pays Off

For Shentel, the Shenandoah County project is more than a single build-out; it is a cornerstone of its core business strategy. The company has carved a niche by focusing specifically on smaller markets and rural communities that are often overlooked by larger national providers. By embracing a “fiber-first” approach with its Glo Fiber service, which offers symmetrical speeds up to 5 Gbps, Shentel is making a long-term bet on the growth potential of these underserved regions.

“Expanding rural broadband is no small feat given the costs and distances involved,” acknowledged Chris Kyle, Shentel's VP of Industry Affairs & Regulatory. “Thanks to these grants, strong local leadership, and a great partnership with the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, Shenandoah County is setting the pace for connectivity.”

This strategy appears to be financially sound. By skillfully leveraging government grants to subsidize capital-intensive projects, Shentel has been able to expand its 18,000-mile fiber network aggressively while maintaining capital efficiency. The company’s recent financial reports show strong growth, with an adjusted EBITDA surge of 43% in the first quarter of 2025, and it is on track with a plan to expand its fiber network to 550,000 homes by 2026. The company’s customer-centric model, which emphasizes straightforward pricing without long-term contracts and local customer service, further strengthens its competitive position against incumbent cable or slower satellite and DSL alternatives.

As the newly laid fiber network hums to life, it delivers more than just data packets to the homes of Shenandoah County. It delivers access to opportunity, economic resilience, and a stronger foundation for the community’s future, proving that with the right strategy and partnerships, no community is too remote to be connected.