Advertisement

Header Utility Menu

  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Events

LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Instagram Get Our App

  • Login

Virginia Business

Mobile Menu

  • Issues
  • Industries
    • Banking/Finances
    • Law
    • Real Estate
    • Economic Development
    • Education
    • Energy/Green
    • Federal Contracting
    • Government
    • Healthcare
    • Hotels/Tourism
    • Insurance
    • Ports/Trade
    • Small Business
    • Technology
    • Transportation
  • Regions
    • Central Virginia
    • Eastern Virginia
    • Northern Virginia
    • Roanoke/New River Valley
    • Shenandoah Valley
    • Southern Virginia
    • Southwest Virginia
  • Reports
    • Best Places to Work
    • Business Person of the Year
    • CEO Pay
    • COVID-19
    • Generous Virginians Project
    • Legal Elite
    • Most Influential Virginians
    • Maritime Guide
    • Site Locator
    • The Big Book
    • Virginia CFO Awards
  • Company News
    • For the Record
    • People
  • Opinion
  • Lists
  • Awards/Events
    • Power Up Virginia 500
    • Women in Leadership
    • Diversity Leadership Series
    • Virginia 500
    • Legal Elite
    • CFO Awards
    • Big Book of Lists
    • 100 People To Meet
    • Best Places To Work
  • Virginia 500
    • Power Up Virginia 500
    • Read The Issue
    • Order a copy
    • Buy an award plaque
    • Suggest execs for 2022

Advertisement

Header Primary Menu

  • Issues
    • August 2022
    • July 2022
    • June 2022
    • May 2022
    • April 2022
    • Issues Archive
  • Industries
    • Banking/Finances
    • Law
    • Real Estate
    • Economic Development
    • Education
    • Energy/Green
    • Federal Contracting
    • Government
    • Healthcare
    • Hotels/Tourism
    • Insurance
    • Ports/Trade
    • Small Business
    • Technology
    • Transportation
  • Regions
    • Central Virginia
    • Eastern Virginia
    • Northern Virginia
    • Roanoke/New River Valley
    • Shenandoah Valley
    • Southern Virginia
    • Southwest Virginia
  • Reports
    • Best Places to Work
    • Business Person of the Year
    • CEO Pay
    • COVID-19
    • Generous Virginians Project
    • Legal Elite
    • Most Influential Virginians
    • Maritime Guide
    • Site Locator
    • The Big Book
    • Virginia CFO Awards
  • Company News
    • For the Record
    • People
  • Opinion
  • Lists
  • Awards/Events
    • Power Up Virginia 500
    • Women in Leadership
    • Diversity Leadership Series
    • Virginia 500
    • Legal Elite
    • CFO Awards
    • Big Book of Lists
    • 100 People To Meet
    • Best Places To Work
  • Virginia 500
    • Power Up Virginia 500
    • Read The Issue
    • Order a copy
    • Buy an award plaque
    • Suggest execs for 2022

Home News Regions Southern Virginia Collaboration leads to 2-hour, free Wi-Fi service in Boydton

Collaboration leads to 2-hour, free Wi-Fi service in Boydton

Published December 31, 2018 by Joan Tupponce

Lake Country Satellite President David Varner. Photo by Shandell Taylor

Mecklenburg County now offers two hours of free Wi-Fi access daily in the Courthouse Square area of Boydton as a result of a collaboration between Microsoft Corp. and Lake Country Satellite.

The service addresses a major need in the region. “This free Wi-Fi service, where you can use your own device, is something no other community has in this area,” says David Varner, president of Boydton-based Lake Country Satellite, which will operate the system.

Lake Country was chosen as Microsoft’s project partner because “of their expertise in building and operating Wi-Fi systems such as the one we built in Boydton,” says Jeremy Satterfield, manager of Microsoft’s TechSpark Virginia, a program promoting economic opportunity and job creation in Southern Virginia.

Officials from Microsoft’s Datacenter Community Development program met with community leaders late last year to identify areas where the company could make investments. “The lack of internet availability in Boydton was identified as a need that would benefit merchants, residents and visitors,” Satterfield says.

The free Wi-Fi hours are available for people to do “whatever they need to do,” says Varner. “They can choose whatever two hours they want. As soon as they connect their device, the timer starts. It automatically logs a person out after two hours.”

Microsoft has an ongoing interest in the area. Southern Virginia is one of six TechSpark communities, and Boydton is home to a Microsoft data center. “Our Datacenter Academy, which helps train data-center technicians, was inaugurated at Southside Virginia Community College in South Hill and the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center in South Boston,” says Satterfield.

Microsoft also supports Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative in its efforts to expand broadband service. The co-op secured a $2.6 million grant from the Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission to fund a new subsidiary, EmPower, which will deploy 135 miles of fiber broadband in Southern Virginia.

Microsoft Datacenter Community Development is involved in similar projects in other areas where the company has data enters. It is building a community Wi-Fi system in the Valley Junction neighborhood of West Des Moines, Iowa.

“I think it’s going to be a game changer in the long run,” says Varner of the Mecklenburg project. “I think eventually it will draw more businesses and restaurants to the Boydton area.”

Related Stories

Virginia Business logo

Virginia Uranium opens office in Chatham

Virginia Business logo

Sawmill operation to expand in Pittsylvania County

Virginia Business logo

Gift is designed to boost the quality of child care

Trending

Va. Beach honors Ramon W. Breeden Jr.

Caesars ups Danville casino investment to $650M

CarLotz to merge with San Francisco’s Shift

Restoration Bioproducts to build $5.8M biochar plant

Axios to be sold to Cox Enterprises for $525M

Sponsored Stories

Creating An Urban Destination in Chesapeake

5 surprising facts employers should know about voluntary benefits

What Supply Chain Problems should you be planning for in 2023?

Advertisement

Advertisement

Trending

Va. Beach honors Ramon W. Breeden Jr.

Caesars ups Danville casino investment to $650M

CarLotz to merge with San Francisco’s Shift

Restoration Bioproducts to build $5.8M biochar plant

Axios to be sold to Cox Enterprises for $525M

Sponsored Stories

Creating An Urban Destination in Chesapeake

5 surprising facts employers should know about voluntary benefits

What Supply Chain Problems should you be planning for in 2023?

Get Virginia Business directly on your tablet or in your mailbox!

Subscribe to Virginia Business

Advertisement

Advertisement

Footer Primary Menu

  • virginiabusiness.com
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • About Us
  • Contact Us

Footer Secondary Menu

  • Industries
  • Regions
  • Reports
  • Company News
  • Events

Sign Up For Our Newsletter

Sign Up

LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Instagram Get Our App

Privacy Policy Cookie Policy

Footer Utility Menu

Copyright © 2022 Virginia Business. All rights reserved.

Site Maintained by TechArk