Loudoun County staff submitted their quarterly report on broadband initiatives to the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors during the board’s regular business meeting on Tuesday, February 2, 2021. Several residents were present to solicit the board’s help with broadband in their neighborhoods and LBA was on-hand to respond to the staff report.
The transcript of LBA’s response is below:
Good evening, my name is Kevin Noll. Tonight I speak on behalf of Loudoun Broadband Alliance, a non-profit organization with the mission to promote development of reliable and affordable broadband Internet access in Loudoun County.
LBA extends its gratitude to the Board of Supervisors and county staff for the time and continuing effort they have put in to BMI#16. The quarterly report submitted by staff for this board meeting contains the most clear plan that has ever been presented by the county that has the potential to lead to measurable improvements.
The key item missing from this plan is a clearly stated goal – a way to measure whether the county is succeeding in its efforts. LBA urges the Board of Supervisors to set a clear goal that will reflect real improvements in broadband access to the residents of Loudoun County. This goal should include metrics for broadband accessibility, reliability, and affordability.
LBA recognizes that setting a goal of this nature requires an understanding of the current state of broadband in Loudoun. As we have expressed in the past, the demographic data currently being used by the county is outdated or incomplete, making it difficult to fully understand the current state of affairs.
Rather than be just a squeaky wheel, LBA has stepped up to be part of the solution. LBA has chartered a survey that we believe will provide us with the most up to date and accurate demographic information about broadband in Loudoun County. Using the results, LBA hopes to work with county staff and supervisors to set measurable and realistic goals for broadband improvements in Loudoun County.
LBA also feels there are many details missing in the staff’s current report and plan. We have submitted, via email, to each of the Board members, a summary of the report and questions that we feel the Board of Supervisors should ask of staff.
LBA would like to specifically call out the VATI application schedule outlined by staff for Action 6 Item C. This schedule is very encouraging, but has many open questions and could easily fall behind. We request that the Board of Supervisors ask staff to report monthly on their progress on this specific item.
Thank you to the Board for your time and consideration and to County staff for their hard work.