Mid-Atlantic Broadband Communities and Adaptrum Partner to Launch New SOVA Innovation Center for TV White Space Broadband Development in Rural Virginia

BEDFORD COUNTY, Va., June 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Mid-Atlantic Broadband Communities Corp. (MBC) and Adaptrum announced Thursday the official launch of the SOVA Innovation Center for TV White Space Broadband Development, the newest engineering and research initiative to come to Bedford County. The new Innovation Center will help deliver research and development that will result in cost-effective telecom infrastructure and provide much-needed affordable broadband services in Virginia and beyond.

"The SOVA Innovation Center is an investment in southern Virginia," said Tad Deriso, President & CEO of MBC. "We are thrilled that such an innovative West Coast technology company chose our region to open their East Coast research and development center. Welcoming pioneering technology companies like Adaptrum into our community directly supports our efforts to transform southern Virginia into an East Coast technology hub."

The new facility, serving as Adaptrum's East Coast R&D and operations home-base, will:

• Drive fundamental advances and applied applications for TV White Space technology.
• Engage with leading academic institutions focused on TVWS wireless and dynamic spectrum access techniques.
• Serve as a test bed for new and improved next-generation products.
• Support products and services for regional customers and projects.

"Bedford County is the perfect location for Adaptrum's East Coast R&D and office center," said Haiyun Tang, Founder & CEO of Adaptrum. "The Innovation Center will focus on advancing our technologies, and serve as a launching pad for Adaptrum products and services while showcasing the Virginia TVWS deployment to further expand business opportunities in the East Coast."

The SOVA Innovation Center is located in the heart of southern Virginia close to Virginia Tech and several other universities, ideally positioned to provide affordable broadband and service to all residents in the region including areas currently without connectivity. It will be jointly managed by Adaptrum and MBC and supported by Virginia Tech's best and brightest White Space researchers, engineers and student technicians.

The Center's opening builds on the success of MBC and Microsoft Corp.'s Homework Network TV White Space pilot program, the largest initiative of its kind in the U.S. delivering broadband internet access at home to students in rural southern Virginia at no cost, and play an instrumental role in expanding the program to 1,000 households by the end of the year.

"We're excited to see MBC and Adaptrum partner and open the SOVA Innovation Center," said Paul Garnett, Microsoft's Senior Director of Affordable Access Initiatives. "Having the equipment, technology and service housed locally will help strengthen and expand the infrastructure needed to quickly grow the Homework Network TV White Space program from two pilot counties to all of southern Virginia and beyond."  

With 50 percent of students currently lacking broadband access at home and nearly seven in 10 teachers across the country assigning homework and research requiring broadband access, strategic partnerships between organizations like MBC, Adaptrum and Microsoft to develop innovative programs and initiatives are essential and key to truly making a difference, giving students in rural communities access to the technology they need to succeed in school and develop the necessary skills to enter today's workforce.

About Mid-Atlantic Broadband Communities
Mid-Atlantic Broadband Communities Corporation (MBC) is a non-profit 501(c)(4) organization committed to providing economic development leadership to Southern Virginia.  MBC promotes economic development in Southern Virginia through the operation of a successful advanced open access fiber optic network, providing wholesale telecommunications transport services, colocation and tower leasing.  Since its inception in 2004 and by offering a state-of-the art fiber optic network, MBC has supported the recruitment of major investments, including data centers, call center/operations centers, advanced manufacturing, research and development, and bio-tech industries. For more information, visit www.mbc-va.com. 

About Adaptrum
Driving both technical and regulatory innovations, Adaptrum has pioneered the use of previously underutilized TV White Space spectrum. Founded by leading experts in wireless communications, our creative and experienced team is committed to fundamentally changing the wireless industry and enabling universally affordable broadband. Learn more at www.adaptrum.com.

Media Contact:
Anna Vue
(916) 595-8157
[email protected]

SOURCE Mid-Atlantic Broadband Communities Corp.; Adaptrum

Related Links

http://www.mbc-va.com