Fiber-Optic Network Under Construction in Crozet

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Phase 1 of Lumos fiber optic expansion in Crozet. Submitted graphic.

A network of glass filaments has begun snaking its way beneath Crozet and, when completed, will supply ultra-high-speed fiber internet service from Rte. 250 west of town to the intersection of Routes 250 and 240 to the east in Phase 1 of the project. Lumos, the company providing the service, has accelerated the pace of planned expansion, with some homes and businesses in Crozet to be served as early as March. In other areas, construction will begin in the spring and be completed before the end of June. 

“We’re already well coordinated with all the neighborhoods in Crozet,” said Lumos CEO Diego Anderson. The company, which spun off from Waynesboro-based Ntelos in 2011, has previously brought its high-speed fiber internet service to 200,000 homes and businesses in Virginia and North Carolina and plans to enable another 80,000 homes and businesses in 2022. That number includes the 12,000 new consumers in Waynesboro, Augusta County, Stuarts Draft, and Bedford County, as well as Crozet.

Previously, Lumos was awarded a Virginia Telecommunication Initiative grant of $1.36 million to cover some of the costs of a fiber project in Botetourt County and the Allegheny Highlands, and it will pursue other public-private partnerships in underserved communities. However, the expansion locally, Anderson said, is an investment on the part of the company. The company’s news release said the pure-fiber internet is built to accommodate the needs of the next 100 years. 

Lumos CEO Diego Anderson. Submitted photo.

The time is right for this kind of investment, Anderson said. “This allows people to work from home or establish satellite offices where they live.” He said it also increases the monetary value of homes, with unlimited broadband capacity, symmetrical download and upload speeds, to enable virtual learning, gaming, e-commerce and cloud computing. 

Speed and pricing varies according to the needs of the consumer, with speeds up to 2 GBPs for residential consumers and 10 GBPs for small businesses. On its website, LumosFiber.com, monthly fees are listed starting at $39.99 for residential, with business bundles ranging from $169.99 to $799.99.

Anderson spoke with familiarity about every neighborhood in Crozet. “Albemarle County is near and dear to me,” he said. “I’ve lived here for 25 years.” To find out when your neighborhood will be served and how to sign up, check availability at LumosFiber.com, or call 855-GO-LUMOS. 

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