WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) today announced that Mr. Robert Miller of Louisa County, Va. will attend as his guest at President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address on Thursday, March 7. Mr. Miller, owner of Small Country Campground in Louisa County, Virginia, will be joining Sen. Warner as he highlights how small business owners in rural and underserved areas have benefitted from being able to connect to broadband internet for the first time thanks to the bipartisan infrastructure law.

“In the 21st century, broadband is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. For too long, residents and small business owners in rural areas had to rely on antiquated technologies while traditional internet companies looked at their balance sheets, unable to justify the cost of bringing broadband to these remote areas,” said Sen. Warner. “As one of the negotiators of the bipartisan infrastructure law, I am thrilled to be joined by Mr. Miller, one of the many small business owners who are now able to rely on high-speed internet to expand and grow their business.”

“Before high-speed internet arrived in Louisa County, Small Country Campground ran on a spotty landline and a laggy reservation system. Now, we boast a reliable internet-based phone system that’s accessible across 80 acres of property, as well as a faster and more responsive online reservation system,” said Mr. Miller. “My family and I are thankful for the broadband dollars in the infrastructure law, which have allowed us to attract remote workers, improve the overall guest experience, and generate more business for our community.”

As Virginia’s Senator and former Governor, Sen. Warner has championed efforts to expand broadband affordability and access in Virginia. As an author and negotiator of the bipartisan infrastructure law, Sen. Warner secured $65 billion in funding to help deploy broadband and decrease costs associated with connecting to the internet. Virginia alone has received over $1.5 billion through the BIL to expand broadband. Louisa County is just one of many communities that has benefitted, or will soon benefit, from broadband dollars. The Fiscal Year 2023 government funding bill supported by Sen. Warner included $364 million for the ReConnect program — funding that will support additional projects that will help rural communities access the internet. 

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