Sunset Digital Communications Receives More Than $40 Million in Stimulus Funding for Broadband Installation

DUFFIELD, Va., Sept. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- The Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service (RUS) recently announced that Sunset Digital Communications, located in rural Southwest Virginia, will receive $20,222,207 to expand the LENOWISCO Rural Area Network (RAN) in Lee and Wise Counties in Virginia, and another $24,529,394 to install broadband backbone in two Tennessee counties, Hancock and Claiborne.

The plans, dubbed the "Advance Virginia" project, and the "Transform Tennessee" project, will provide ultra-high speed Fiber Optic broadband to two of the most economically challenged regions of the nation. Besides the connection speeds of up to 1 Gigabit per second, the network will also provide IP Television and VoIP telephone services.

"This will be a significant boost to the area economy," says Paul Elswick, CEO of Sunset Digital Communications. "We're pleased that the need for broadband in this rural area was recognized by those in Washington. This will change people's lives, it already has in those areas that are connected…people working from home, taking online classes… it really opens up a world of opportunities for the area."

The grants will make broadband service accessible to an additional 5,000 customers and create 146 direct jobs consisting of linemen, installers and supporting administration staff.  In addition, the broadband access could create an additional 700 "work-from-home" or cottage industry jobs in the area in the next few years.

Since the RAN was built in 2003, Elswick estimates that the economy in Southwest Virginia has grown by more than $50 million in corporate investments and 1,200 new jobs have been created.

About Sunset Digital Communications: Started in 2003, Sunset envisioned and constructed a state-of the art fiber optic network dedicated to provide broadband services to improve economic development and quality of life in Southwest Virginia and beyond. The LENOWISCO Rural Area Network (R.A.N.) is a fiber-optic network with fast, reliable and affordable broadband access to multiple physical infrastructures. For more information, visit www.sunsetcom.net.

SOURCE Sunset Digital Communications