Rural Virginia. Big Tech's role, energy's legacy, reinventing news.

…tech giant Facebook announced that it will partner with Appalachian Power, internet provider Gigabeam Networks and the county to run fiber optic cables for high-speed service. As Grayson seeks to speed up connections for citizens, county officials say Facebook’s involvement will accelerate the broadband project dramatically, putting it on a fast track for completion in two years instead of 10.

Metallurgical coal may have eased the way. With high prices for the commodity and few replacements available to the steelmaking industry, “met” coal has allowed the industry to keep a toehold in the region that shows no signs of slipping. That has let the area reframe its aspirations: Coal is not being replaced, officials can argue; instead, other sources of energy are joining it at the table.

In explaining its mission, the website states:

Southwest and Southside are two very different regions of the state but they share many things in common. Among them: They’re increasingly left behind in a state that’s dominated by the urban crescent from Northern Virginia to Hampton Roads and they’re both faced with inventing new economies after traditional employers have declined.