Culpeper County (VA) Broadband Expansion Project with All Points Broadband Described as an “Abject Failure”

partnerships
Author

Phoebe Kamber

Published

February 25, 2025

Key Takeaways

  • All Points Broadband (APB) was contracted in 2020 to connect 4,300 unserved homes in Culpeper County, VA, securing $14.5 million in state and federal funding, with another $7.4 million to come.
  • After five years, only one home has been connected.
  • APB blames delays on difficulties co-locating on poles and a backlog of permits approvals.
  • Officials in Culpeper and Rappahannock Counties have criticized APB’s disorganization and lack of progress, calling the project an “abject failure.”

Overview

Supervisors in Culpeper and Rappahannock Counties, Virginia are frustrated over significant delays in separate projects with utility partner ISP All Points Broadband (APB). Culpeper County partnered with APB in 2020 to apply for funding from the Virginia Telecommunication Initiative (VATI). The project aimed to bring broadband to approximately 4,300 unserved homes in the county. APB received $8 million from VATI and $6.5 million in ARPA funding for the project, alongside $15 million of their own contribution. Despite an upcoming February 28th completion deadline, only one customer has been connected as of Culpeper’s January board meeting. According to one official, the only significant update provided at the meeting was an announcement of $7.4 million in additional state funding intended to address “problems co-locating on poles owned by Rappahannock Electric Cooperative.”

Company officials responded to criticism by stating they have “doubled down on [their] commitment.” APB claims that all underground permits had been submitted to the Virginia Department of Transportation and that once approved, construction would take around four to six months. APB has asked for the county’s help to secure permits and accept the additional award money; however, supervisors have pushed back citing permitting issues, poor communication, and general disorganization. One supervisor said the permits are “riddled with issues,” and that in one zone, “at least seven permits are in areas that are under prescriptive easements.”

To address the slow progress, the county amended its contract in September, requiring monthly reports and setting a February 28, 2025, completion deadline. The county is permitted to extend the contract if 80% of the work is completed by the deadline. Furthermore, customers who remain unconnected after the February deadline will receive a 50% discount (once connected) on APB service for each month of delay. APB has already failed to meet its first milestone, and one company official acknowledged that the February deadline will likely not be met. The county must now decide how to proceed and whether it wants to extend the contract with APB.