Its always been my biggest concern, especially since the coronavirus hit us, that we just dont have enough broadband for the students, he said.

Cause for even more concern is how the pandemic might look over the next few months after the school year starts, Fijalkowski said. Theres the strong possibility of spikes in cases, which could prompt students to return to doing most of their school work remotely, he said.

Its going to hold some back more than others, Fijalkowski said, referring to how not every family in the county has access to the same quality of internet service.

The recent broadband report identifies 41 local communities totaling just over 9,000 households that have been deemed either unserved or underserved.

The report determined that some of the communities that should be among the first to be addressed are a section of Christiansburg south of Interstate 81 and the Shawsville area.

Fijalkowski, whose supervisor district includes the Shawsville area, said ideally hed like to see some kind of project get organized by the end of the year.

If were not able to get something started somewhere in the county, then we should seriously look at CARES Act money for providing hotspots in some areas, he said. At least so parents can bring them [students] to these hotspots and connect to the internet that way.

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Montgomery officials hope for progress soon on broadband expansion - Roanoke Times