November 2021 Fiber Construction Update

The holiday season is upon us and we are grateful for our staff, consumers and the progress we have made this year with fiber construction. Though we have faced some obstacles and challenges, it has not stopped our momentum towards our goals of constructing 500 miles of fiber in 2021. BARC staff and contractors are committed to serving our community with world-class Internet service and we continue using our cooperative model to make this a reality in our part of rural Virginia.

Cornwall East / Irish Creek / Nature Camp / Vesuvius / South River: We are happy to announce that the four railroad crossings impeding our progress have been approved. We are now in the process of paying the crossing fees and arranging the flagging services in order to schedule each crossing. Fiber splicing and service drops will commence as soon as the fiber is pulled across the railroad tracks. We are hopeful to achieve our first crossing in the next two weeks and begin connecting customers sometime in December.

North Raphine / Augusta County: Construction in this CAF project continues, however, crews have encountered dense rock that is greatly slowing the construction process. We are making some progress but this project is delayed and connection of service will not begin until 2022.

There are many areas eligible to sign-up for BARC Connects broadband service. If you are questioning if your area is eligible, you can always visit our website http://shop.barcconnects.net or call us at 800-846-2272 and one of our Customer Service team members will be happy to help you. The below chart provides a status update of 2021 fiber construction areas. While construction is still going on in your area, be sure to take advantage of our “free service drop” promotion if you live in an eligible area. Terms and conditions apply – see our website for details.

We also want to provide you with some information on future construction areas for 2022 and 2023 in the chart below:

We encourage all residents and businesses in eligible areas where construction is underway to sign up for service now so we can have you in our queue as construction is completed. We are also enhancing efforts to keep you updated on the status of your area with pre-construction postcards letting you know what to expect as well as follow-up information on service options and how to sign-up for service. Consumers with eligible addresses should have received information on how to sign up for service. You can always check our website www.barcconnects.net to see if your address is eligible for service by selecting “Sign Up Now”.

BARC now offers SmartHome Solutions to enable network parameter and parental controls as well as additional network security. ExperienceIQ offers parental controls and allows you to set boundaries on access to online platforms. ProtectIQ offers an extra layer of security for all connected devices in your home. Each suite is on $5 per month. You can learn more on our website by visiting www.https://www.barcconnects.net/smart-home-solutions/

As a reminder, we are no longer offering TV service to new consumers effective April 1, 2021. Information to current TV subscribers will go out in December and contain important information – stay tuned!

If you have any questions or concerns about the project, our crews, or anything related to BARC services, please contact us at 800-846-2272 or via email at support@barcconnects.net. You can always stay up to date on our progress by visiting https://www.barcconnects.net/news or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BARCElectricCooperative

Our mission remains to improve the quality of life in our communities. We look forward to bringing you world-class broadband service and appreciate your patience.