Editorial: Internet is a utility; everybody deserves access to it

Access to the Internet in Charles City has been…

Correct that. “Lack of Internet access,” in Charles City has been a nightmare to constituents since 2014. Promises made by companies to provide affordable and high-speed access to the World Wide Web have come and gone. And even with a grant provided by the Commonwealth of Virginia to provide services to the community, there are caveats, and it seems to mount frustration for some residents.

I happen to be one of those residents.

The grant provided to Comcast services to provide Charles City County Internet services was a step in the right direction. But as time went by, local leaders couldn’t obtain any information from the service provide about connections for residents. Under the contract, Comcast is to connect 2,300 homes (or have the ability to do so) to fulfill their requirements of the grant. And yet, the local leaders have no idea how many they have connected, only receiving updates based on those who have actually connected.

However, where I live at in the county, I can’t receive this high-speed Internet because I live just outside of their designated allotment.

Comcast will go up to approximately 300-feet from their connection in order to hook up a home with services. The homes in front of me can connect, but being that my residence is roughly 200 more feet, they won’t come to my home unless I pay for the extra length for cable to make the connection. If I can’t afford the cost, I’m stuck with my current provider since satellite connections are no longer available in my area and another provider who made claims years ago to connect citizens hasn’t fulfilled that promise (more on that later).

I am not the only one in this situation as many other residents question the reasonability of this service. As one of my friends commented, “With a lot of houses off the roadway, this is something the county should have spoke about with the provider to see if they will still service those who are. This is the country not the city.”

That statement is true, which makes me think can Comcast really connect 2,300 homes without going further off the roadway?

But let’s not just focus on Comcast, let’s point to SCS Broadband as well. The company has been promising high-speed Internet services to those areas that can’t be reached. But for the last five years, they have only connected 16 homes as of the May 2021 Charles City’s Board of Supervisors meeting. Now, the company has been sold and the complaints about when the service will be available continues to haunt residents.

Finally, let’s say it like it is. Internet is a utility that should be provided to everyone, regardless of location. If the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us one thing, it’s that we need to be prepared for anything. Living in rural counties with limited access to the Internet like Charles City and New Kent is just another example of how our localities are at a disadvantage in comparison to bigger cities. We pay more and get less quality, access, and service. Simply put, it’s not fair.

It’s time for something to be done. If you’re going to continuously charge us for Internet services but not provide us any, make it a law that this is a utility and needs to be provided. Look at it this way; they are going to make the money up anyway with their billing and service. At least allow us to have access to it first before pushing us out the price range where we can’t afford it.