Rapid Expansion in Chase City, VA for National OnDemand

November 10, 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

National OnDemand announces the opening of a 35,000 sq. ft. office in Mecklenburg County, V.A. for fiber construction operations in rural southern Virginia.

CHASE CITY, VA: National OnDemand announced today that it has opened an office in Mecklenburg County, V.A. The 35,000 square foot office space offers over 9 acres of land and will be used by National as a central location for operations related to fiber construction in rural areas of southern Virginia.

Trent Deyton, Controller for National OnDemand said that the growth of National OnDemand offices is due to an increase in fiber construction projects as well as exceptional growth for National OnDemand since its founding in 2017. “With the increase in government funds being awarded for broadband construction, National continues to be selected as a project partner for rural fiber projects across the country,” Deyton said. “National had a large footprint prior to 2022, but we have never been busier setting up new field offices than this year.”

EMPOWER, a subsidiary of the Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative, recently announced its partnership with National OnDemand to construct broadband networks for rural Virginians, prompting the selection of the South Main St. property. This project will not only bring fiber internet to southern Virginia, but also telecommunication training and career opportunities for its residents.

National OnDemand’s CEO, Douglas Boteler, commented, “We have already begun bringing our expertise and resources in providing fiber solutions, coupled with our experience in partnering with electric cooperatives, to deliver fiber to communities across Southside Virginia. We are especially excited to bring jobs and vocational training to Chase City and look forward to being a part of their community.”

The South Main St. building has been previously used by several other companies for different purposes, including Sherwood Foods and Standard Garments.

National OnDemand offers unique vocational training in every community it becomes a part of. Rather than exclusively sourcing employees from previous locations, National provides jobs to local people in the area. This not only pours broadband network resources into the area, but also a considerable influx of revenue into the local economy. The invaluable experience that local team members receive prepares them for long-lasting careers in the telecommunications industry as the market continues to rapidly expand. This opportunity is especially useful to rural communities as an alternative to seeking employment potentially hours from home.

This partnership symbolizes National OnDemand’s macro-objective of helping connect people with the resources and jobs necessary in today’s economy and digital society. Every office that they open is the brick-and-mortar manifestation of that mission.

Boteler said that National OnDemand is “uniquely suited” to assist EMPOWER as it progresses in its fiber buildout project, having completed similar rural fiber construction projects in the past.

National OnDemand continues to expand its service footprint to address the nationwide need for fiber internet. Located in 45 of the 48 continental states, National has years of experience connecting communities with the services they need for daily life. The new office adds to a long list of operations launched nationwide as National continues to exponentially grow.

• Rapidly expanding into new markets
• Headquartered in Burlington, N.C.
• Specializes in fiber construction, installation and maintenance across their Construction and Last Mile Divisions

National has established itself as a partner and ally to rural America as broadband infrastructure continues to be built in all pockets of the nation.

Jay Daugherty, Director of Marketing for National OnDemand said “This project demonstrates both the increased demand for quality internet access in rural areas of the U.S. and National’s commitment to be a leading provider of broadband infrastructure for MSO’s, utility companies and electric cooperatives throughout the country.”

Fiber internet remains a sought-after service. Previously viewed as a luxury, fiber has quickly turned into a necessity. However, only about 43% of the nation currently has access to fiber. The majority rely on legacy systems, assuming any exist at all in their area. National OnDemand hopes to change those statistics by constructing fiber networks across the U.S. in communities previously left behind in technological booms.

• Families struggle to maintain speeds of 9 Mbps download or less
  • The Federal Communications Commission considers ‘good’ internet as at least 25Mbps download, 3 Mbps upload
  • Many consider ‘broadband’ internet to be at least 100 Mbps
  • Fiber can provide download and upload speeds over 1 Gbps

• As many continue to work from home, or attend online classes, fast internet speeds are critical for professional and academic success

• Government funding has already improved the situation by financially backing efforts to connect rural areas to broadband networks
  • The recently announced ReConnect federal program is offering over $1 billion to support broadband network construction efforts
    • A portion of these are hundreds of millions of grants for companies

• National OnDemand continues to support these initiatives by being on the front line of rural fiber construction, anytime and anywhere