Breezeline, formerly Atlantic Broadband, launched construction earlier this month on its $7.2 million, 150-mile project that will extend the availability of broadband to more than 1,400 homes and businesses in Mathews, Middlesex, Lancaster and Caroline counties. Account activations are expected to begin as early as May.

The project, which involves bringing ultra-high-speed fiber technology to residents in the four counties, is funded through a $4.2 million Virginia Telecommunication Initiative grant administered by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, said a press release. The project is scheduled for completion by Jan. 30, 2023.

“We’ve completed design and pre-construction activities and are now excited to begin the construction phase,” said William T. Newborg, director of grants and funding for Breezeline. “We are grateful to our community partners in helping us reach this latest milestone.”

During construction, Breezeline will be accessing underground and aerial utility easements, which are sometimes located on residential properties, said the release. The company will notify residents of activity in their neighborhoods by distributing door hangers with Breezline contact information, said the release, and they will work to minimize any disruption from the underground work.

Once construction is completed, Breezeline will visit homes in the project areas to discuss service offerings, said the release. Among the amenities that will be available through its online services are distance learning, work-from-home, telehealth, gaming, and others.

The initiative is one of multiple private-public partnerships that Breezeline has pursued, with support from the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, to expand the broadband across its service areas, said the release.