- Southside Network Authority
- About
- About the Project
About the Project
In 2018, the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission (HRPDC) endorsed the construction of a regional fiber network that will connect to the subsea transatlantic cables that have come ashore in Virginia Beach and spread this ultrafast fiber network throughout the region. This regional fiber network will occur in phases, beginning with the construction of a fiber ring that will serve the five Southside cities. This fiber network will then be extended to the Peninsula to create a regionally interconnected network that can be used to support and grow our regional economy and improve our quality of life.
The goals of the fiber ring are to create and attract new high-tech businesses to our region; support our educational and research institutions; and bring new internet services providers to the region, thereby creating internet competition, lowering prices, and increasing speed for residents.
Our goal is to develop a Fiber Optic Network Ring that will connect our entire 757 Region. This Network Ring will serve as the backbone of 757's current and future digital ecosystem. This will enable, not compete with, internet service providers.
To implement the first phase of this project, the five Southside cities of Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk and Virginia Beach formed the Southside Network Authority (SNA) to manage the southside fiber ring. These five cities each contributed local monies to appoint an Executive Director in 2020, and also obtained the services of Columbia Telecommunications Corporation (CTC) to complete the design work for the southside fiber ring and manage the construction of this project.
Danella Construction was selected to be the contractor for the construction of the southside ring and a groundbreaking occurred in April 2022, with CTC serving as project manager. In early 2023, the SNA Board entered into a lease agreement with Global Technical Systems (GTS) from Virginia Beach to operate, manage and market 96 strands of the 288 strand fiber ring.
The construction of the 119 mile southside ring is on schedule and due to be complete in August 2024, just over two years after groundbreaking. In addition, discussions are occurring with Peninsula representatives to develop plans to extend the fiber ring through our bridge tunnels to connect to the Peninsula.
The Network Ring will connect to the Trans-Atlantic Subsea Cables. Because the 757 is the only digital port between New York and Miami, our first cables can handle exponentially more data than the older infrastructure serving those regions.
Our Network Ring help eliminate digital divides within our region and ensure that all who call the 757 home have equal, affordable broadband access, which will help to spur educational and career opportunities in turn.
Voting Members
- Andria McClellan, SNA Chair and Councilwoman, City of Norfolk
- Rosemary Wilson, Vice-Chair and Vice-Mayor, City of Virginia Beach
- Debbie Ritter, Councilmember, City of Chesapeake
- Albert Moor, City Manager, City of Suffolk
- Steven Carter, City Manager, City of Portsmouth
Alternate Members
- Laura Fitzpatrick, Deputy City Manager, City of Chesapeake
- Catheryn Whitesell, Deputy City Manager, City of Norfolk
- Peter Wallace, Chief Information Officer, City of Virginia Beach
- Charles Kiriakou, Chief Information Officer, City of Suffolk
- Cliff Hayes, Chief Information Officer, City of Portsmouth