In the next step of its broadband expansion, Shenandoah Communications (Shentel) has announced plans to bring its Beam fixed wireless broadband service to 2,700 households in New Canton, Mount Jackson and Dillwyn, VA. The communities are in Buckingham and Shenandoah counties in the northwestern region of the state.
Shentel has brought Beam to more than 15,000 households this year. It is a 5G-ready LTE service that uses licensed mid-band spectrum at 2.5 GHz and 3.5 GHz. It transmits over local towers and small cells equipped with fiber backhaul, the company says. Monthly prices for Beam start at $65, offering download speeds of between 25 Mbps and 100 Mbps.
“According to the U.S. Census, nearly 60 million Americans live in rural communities who are struggling to stay connected to their loved ones and work or study from home because they don’t have access to affordable, reliable high-speed Internet access,” Dan Meenan, Shentel’s Vice President of Wireless Engineering & Construction, said in a press release. “It is part of our mission to ensure folks living in rural communities have access to the same level of telecommunications service as those living in more urban areas. We believe Beam Internet will help bridge the digital divide in our footprint.”
This is the second Virginia announcement by Shentel this month. Early in May, the service provider said it has made its Glo Fiber Service available to residents and businesses in Salem. The network serves more than 34,000 households in Harrisonburg, Staunton, Front Royal and Winchester in addition to Salem. The FTTH service uses the company’s 6,800 mile regional fiber network. It offers speeds to 2 Gbps, with the base tier of 300 Mbps available for $65 per month.
Shenandoah Telecommunications provides wireless, cable, fiber and fixed wireless services in the mid-Atlantic states. In addition to Beam and Glo, the provider offers Shentel Business and Shentel Cable brands.
