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Fiber Anchors Sustained Economic Development Charlottesville, Virginia

Max Hahn
Max Hahn

Fiber broadband is recognized in all circles as the fifth necessary utility for 21st century life, on par with water, sewer, electricity, and paved roads that households and businesses need for education, entertainment, health care, commerce, employment, the delivery of essential government services, and so much more. The COVID pandemic underlined the need for reliable, high-speed, low-latency broadband for everyone, regardless of geographic location.

But what tangible economic benefits does fiber deliver to homes, businesses, and communities? This case study examines the economic impact of fiber broadband in Charlottesville, Virginia, and the surrounding area, focusing on three key economic indicators: private sector job growth, housing value, and digital microbusiness density, with comparisons made between Charlottesville and similarly sized cities in Virginia.

FIBER’S IMPACT

  • Availability of high-speed, low-latency broadband accounted for roughly 35% of Charlottesville’s private sector job growth during 2015-2019
  • $4 million per year in increased housing value in the Charlottesville area
  • Charlottesville ranks highly in Digital Microbusiness Density – a key indicator of small business health – compared to Virginia cities of similar population size
Read the Case Study