Martinsville Bulletin: Warner, MHC-Patrick community leaders talk about internet success, problems and potential solutions

By Holly Kozelsky 

U.S. Senator Mark Warner was in Henry County on Tuesday as part of a series of meetings and discussions about the opportunities presented by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which was passed by the Senate earlier this month and awaits approval by the House.

He met with about 18 local community leaders representing school systems, governments, the Harvest Foundation and internet companies at the Manufacturing, Engineering, and Technology Complex at Patrick & Henry Community College.

The area runs the gamut of internet availability, from solid and dependable service in Martinsville to nonexistent, with too many obstacles to overcome to get in Patrick County, to Henry County, which is somewhere in between.

“COVID showed that high-speed” internet is not only good to have, but an economic and educational necessity, Warner said.