Residents of Colonial Beach may soon have a clearer picture of the town’s internet service problems as a new community-wide broadband study gets underway.

At the October 7, 2026 Town Council meeting, Sarah Sullivan of the nonprofit Broadband Council provided an update on efforts to improve internet service in Colonial Beach. The Broadband Council works with communities and government agencies to identify broadband needs, secure funding opportunities, and develop solutions.

According to Sullivan, the project began in June 2024 after town officials received complaints about internet speed, reliability, and cost. A survey conducted by the town confirmed those concerns. The Broadband Council then performed a limited speed and latency study, which found evidence of poor broadband performance in parts of Colonial Beach.

The results were presented to the Town Council in October 2024, along with a three-phase plan designed to improve internet access and gather data needed to support future funding requests.

In March 2025, the town moved forward with Phase One of the project. During that phase, the Broadband Council developed a framework for large-scale community testing and completed a broader assessment of the town’s broadband needs. The goal was to collect enough data from residents to challenge existing broadband coverage classifications and support future grant applications.

Shortly afterward, the Broadband Council began pursuing federal funding through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. The funding would have helped pay for community testing, affordability studies, and adoption planning. However, on June 6, 2025, federal policy changes paused the funding opportunity. The program remains under review, and Sullivan said future funding is unlikely to cover the type of testing Colonial Beach needs.

Despite the setback, the project did not stop.

The town and Broadband Council have decided to combine Phases Two and Three of the original plan and move forward with community-wide testing. The testing is intended to gather broadband performance data in a format accepted by the Federal Communications Commission and the Commonwealth of Virginia. Officials hope the results will demonstrate that many residents are not receiving the level of service suggested by current coverage maps.

One challenge facing Colonial Beach is that the community is officially classified as “served” for broadband purposes. Because of that classification, the town is not eligible for many programs aimed at unserved areas. Sullivan said the upcoming study is intended to determine whether actual service levels meet residents’ needs and whether the town’s classification accurately reflects local conditions.

The Broadband Council also plans to collect information from condominium and apartment residents and include questions about telehealth services. Reliable internet has become increasingly important for virtual medical appointments, and state broadband programs are paying closer attention to telehealth capabilities.

The council continues to work with the Northern Neck Planning Commission, the Virginia Office of Broadband, and telehealth organizations to position Colonial Beach for future funding opportunities. Sullivan emphasized that funding opportunities are still being pursued, even though the town will now move ahead with testing before additional grant money becomes available.

The town has also been discussing internet service issues with provider Breezeline, while local fiber provider All Points Broadband has expressed interest in working with the town. Broadband Council representatives are helping facilitate those conversations.

Sullivan said work on the combined Phase Two and Phase Three effort is expected to begin immediately. While the original estimate was 12 to 16 weeks, the council hopes to complete the work in approximately eight weeks.

Residents interested in participating in the upcoming broadband study should watch for future announcements from the Town of Colonial Beach. Officials hope the data collected will help demonstrate the community’s actual broadband needs and strengthen future funding applications.

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Colonial Beach Broadband Project Timeline

June 2024

• Town receives complaints about internet speed, reliability, and costs.
• A town survey confirms widespread concerns.
• Broadband Council conducts an initial speed and latency study.
• Results indicate underserved broadband performance in tested locations.

October 2024

• Broadband Council presents findings to Town Council.
• A three-phase broadband improvement plan is proposed.

March 2025

• Town begins Phase One of the project.
• Broadband Council develops a framework for community-wide testing.
• Broadband assessment and recommendations are completed.

May-June 2025

• Broadband Council pursues BEAD planning grant funding.
• Funding would have supported testing, affordability studies, and broadband adoption planning.

June 6, 2025

• Federal policy changes pause non-deployment BEAD funding programs.
• Expected funding for local testing and planning becomes uncertain.

2025-2026

• State and federal broadband programs undergo multiple revisions.
• Virginia allocates BEAD deployment funding focused largely on unserved locations.
• Colonial Beach remains classified as a served community.

October 2026

• Broadband Council reports to Town Council.
• Decision made to combine Phases Two and Three.
• Community-wide broadband testing is scheduled to begin.

Late 2026 (Planned)

• Residents participate in broadband performance testing.
• Data will be gathered for possible submission to the FCC and Virginia broadband officials.
• Telehealth, apartment, and condominium connectivity information will also be collected.

Approximately 8 Weeks After Launch (Goal)

• Broadband Council hopes to complete testing and data collection.
• Results may be used to challenge current broadband classifications and support future funding applications.