For businesses and students to succeed, they need access to fast, reliable and inexpensive broadband service. That’s just a fact in today’s society.

And it’s also a fact that rural communities are at a severe handicap in this respect. Gov. Ralph Northam has recognized this problem and, last week, he did something about it.

On July 2, he announced a new initiative to bring high-speed internet service to Virginia’s rural communities. He has increased the money committed to improving rural broadband service from $2 million to $8 million and the state’s Tobacco Commission has added another $11 million to this project, Northam said, speaking to local business and government leaders at the Laurel Grove Volunteer Fire Department in southeastern Pittsylvania County.

The lack of reliable high-speed internet is crippling to small communities. Existing businesses won’t locate in these areas and budding entrepreneurs will look elsewhere to start. And without ...