Take the survey

Rappahannock County needs your participation in a survey identifying options to improve broadband in underserved areas of Rappahannock County. The upcoming needs assessment survey will be launched Sept. 15, helping the county identify specific areas of need and provide important data to be shared with telecommunication companies.

John Lesinski, chair of the county’s broadband committee, says while parts of Rappahannock have broadband, many citizens have no service or else slow, unreliable, and inadequate reception to meet basic needs. Ironically, the things that draw people to Rappahannock — rolling hills, mountain vistas, bucolic solitude — are the same things that make it difficult to get reliable Internet.

Needless to say, there are many benefits to Internet access: safety, economic, and educational, to name a few. Washington resident Ashleigh Cannon Sharp, for example, told the committee she recently discovered the benefits of online health services. After noticing a circular rash on her leg, she took to the Internet and an online medical site, where she quickly met with a qualified doctor using video chat. The service took her insurance and the doctor was able to prescribe medication for Lyme disease.

“This online service allowed me to see a doctor without having to leave my business, find childcare for my daughter, and drive 30 miles. All residents can benefit from this same easy and immediate access to healthcare,” Cannon Sharp notes.

Beginning Sept. 15, residents can access the survey online at www. RappBroadband.org or obtain a paper copy at the county library, schools, administrative offices, and many local businesses. The survey can also be completed at one of two upcoming town hall meetings to be held in September, time and date forthcoming.