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Celebrating Progress in Connecting the Region
First connection point to the Regional Fiber Ring announced at Virginia Wesleyan
University News | September 5, 2018
Virginia Wesleyan has always been situated at a special location at the entry points to the City of Virginia Beach and the City of Norfolk. And as it turns out, the University is now located at the heart of the first inter-city connection for a fiber ring that will connect throughout the entire Hampton Roads region.
A landmark event was held on campus September 5 to announce the first connection point to the Regional Fiber Ring—the fiber optic backbone system that will connect all five Southside cities. This unified government network will reduce costs, bolster economic development, accommodate higher education facilities, and support the development of smart communities.
The event was hosted by the Hampton Roads Regional Planning District Commission in partnership with the Regional Broadband Steering Committee with elected officials from the Cities of Virginia Beach and Norfolk, and representatives from Òùµ´ÉÙ¸¾ and Old Dominion University. Guests gathered in the atrium of Virginia Wesleyan’s award-winning Greer Environmental Sciences Center.
“As Virginia Wesleyan continues to grow and expand our research and educational opportunities, fast reliable and affordable fiber access will be critical to our future success,” said VWU President Scott D. Miller, a member of the Broadband Task Force. “I want to congratulate the Hampton Roads region on today’s milestone.”
Remarks were also made by Louis Jones, Virginia Beach Mayor, Kenny Alexander, Norfolk Mayor, Ben Davenport, chair of the Broadband Task Force and a Virginia Beach City Council member, Andria McClellan, a member of the 
Broadband Task Force and the Norfolk City Council, Larry Filer, Associate Vice President for Entrepreneurship and Economic Development at Old Dominion University, and Bob Crum, Executive Director of the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission and Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization.
“As we look to the future, those regions who are prepared for the 21st-century economy will be those communities who will win in the national and global economy,” said Councilman Davenport. “Today’s milestone begins to prepare Hampton Roads to be one of those winning regions. The transatlantic cables and this regionally coordinated fiber ring are game changers.”
The Regional Fiber Ring symbolizes a commitment to improving quality of life for all Hampton Roads residents. Such infrastructure can help attract jobs and industries of the future—biomed, cybersecurity, business incubators, product accelerators, data centers, and more—while engaging all communities to increase digital literacy and participation in the emerging digital economy.
This first connection point, located on Wesleyan Drive and Northampton Boulevard near campus, serves as the foundation for meeting the evolving needs of citizens throughout the region in the digital age.