Shentel Completes Broadband Project in Franklin County
The $32 million project was partially funded through a Virginia state broadband program.
WASHINGTON, May 6, 2026 — Shenandoah Telecommunications Co., or Shentel, has completed a $32 million broadband project connecting more than 6,700 unserved homes in Franklin County, Virginia.
The project was partly funded by the Virginia Telecommunications Initiative and Franklin County. VATI has connected more than 221,500 Virginia locations since July 2021.
“Franklin County sincerely appreciates the partnerships and funding provided from the State of Virginia through the Virginia Telecommunications Initiative (VATI) program and the significant private investment made by Shentel to extend new high speed internet services to thousands of Franklin County residents and households,” said County Administrator Steven Sandy.
Shentel ended the first quarter of 2026 with about 205,300 Glo Fiber and cable broadband subscribers.
“Working alongside Steve Sandy and his team at Franklin County as well as the Department of Housing & Community Development, we’ve completed a network expansion that brings high‑capacity internet service to thousands of homes that previously had limited or no options,” said Chris Kyle, Vice President of Regulatory & Industry Affairs at Shentel.
In its first quarterly report for 2026, Shentel reported $11.5 million in government grant cash receipts during the months of January, February, and March of 2026. The company recently serviced more than 4,900 homes in Bedford County, Virginia with broadband internet, also through partial funding from the VATI program.
