County gives Piedmont Broadband time to prove itself

County gives Piedmont Broadband time to prove itself fa MfotfoiaVt* R. Hnfctkfok spmial H* Ifw krtt'pattrtMHMck Mvws Rappahannovk Count* Administrator John McCarthy told the Rappahannock Hew# that the county “tabled" Virginia Broad band # request H»t- a I40MAHH) loan to install bread band connections until the Beptember or tktwbw Board ef Supervisors' meeting to see hew it# competitor Piedmont Broadband carries OUt It# kistatlatkkts In tlte county hauise van Port. president of BlueRkteeMay ami a member of McCarthy's negotiatfon team with Virginia Broadband. said that final ly after lighting for hookups for ever a vear ami “Virginia Broadband running a# around " she get iHedmenl te make a connection Inst week “It works just fineT she said the decision te table the Virginia Broadband requost for a lean mav be the beginning of the end of a lima strugglo to pet broad baml access for many ef the county's T.2tHt residents Though petiole in Washingbm ami ether areas were able te hook up through varleus connections. most ef the rural parts ef the county like WtsstviUe where van Pert* shop Is located could net. McCarthy *mif. !*•«• Count* approached Vlnrthta Broadband a year ago ami asked them te extern! te Rappahannock. The Culpeper based firm which says it werks m counties stretching than the Blue Ridge Mountains te the Chesapeake Bav sakl there were tee few people in ltappahannock te make it worthwhile unless the county eeukl extend a development lean of Wnn.iHHf The only other hook up effort had wane when Iton Harden accepted seme down payments of $TtHi than numerous eustemees in Rappahannock. but did not deliver some of tire connections. Borne of the customers complained to the sheriff and the county attorney Beveral months ago. Rich Bhoemaker. a Fauquier County businessman and landscaper* invested in Cordons plan, ptdd off alt the people who had lost down payments, and formed Piedmont Broadband. Vim Port said that Tine tfordeu dees not have a role in the firm but arts as an adviser McCarthy sakl he has eheeked into the venture ami ran find m> rompiaints about Bhoemahec# busi ness reputation Piedmont is not seeking any count* loan and has proceeded to make connections. Van Poet said the hookup root prises a small "Kleenex -sired" bog outside with a long whip-like antenna it must be mounted nigh enough to track a satellite. Piedmont uses telephone pole-sired mounts, bams and sometimes trees te mount the connectfon A line runs to the home or business. Within the house or shop it uni lie extended to«aeevc every computer in the place. Pie charge to install is “uitmnd and the monthly charge determined by the hand width is $4fi to a month. van I Vrt said. Bhe sakl Piedtmmt ran make thin conneetkms a week, hut ik now doing some mv to eight Weather ran influence a h»M>kup because the cunneetion must reach a satellite.