1 Establish a Global Internet Hub Industry Council.
Turn the Steering Committee into the Global Internet Hub Council to drive the implementation of the Strategic Plan.
2 Increase regional awareness.
The Council will design, launch, and sustain general outreach and education programs across the I-64 Innovation Corridor to increase awareness, support, and coordination of multiple stakeholders — businesses, government agencies, local and state-level elected officials, and community groups — to develop the region’s digital infrastructure.
3 Increase global investor awareness.
Conduct international outreach to spread the word about the opportunities in the I-64 Innovation Corridor to attract additional digital infrastructure investments in data centers, terrestrial networks, IXPs, and more international subsea cables.
4 Support the growth of robust local internet networks.
Promote the opportunities for additional investment in local terrestrial networks and routes connecting the region to other hub markets. Create an inventory of existing routes and share this resource with the industry and investors.
5 Attract additional international subsea cables.
The Council will work with Virginia Beach and the Hampton Roads Alliance to promote the availability of additional landing sites, diversified Cable Landing Stations, and work to advance and promote no-anchor protection zones.
6 Support the growth of data centers.
The Council will support local and regional economic development organizations in inventorying and packaging viable data center site locations. The Council also will work to repeal the 2035 sunset law for state tax incentives for data centers.
7 Encourage the growth of Internet Exchanges and Internet Exchange Points.
The Council will encourage the growth of IXs and IXPs in both the Richmond area and Hampton Roads. The Richmond region has one IX (on the DE-CIX network) in Henrico. Hampton Roads does not have any at this point, but it needs one.
8 Explore the potential of a network ring.
The Council will support the completion of the regional fiber ring in Hampton Roads and help the Richmond region explore the need for a regional ring as well as a Corridor long loop.
9 Promote Dominion Energy’s capacity to support digital infrastructure growth.
Dominion Energy has the power and the capacity to support energy-intensive digital infrastructure growth. The Council will share this story to help support Northern Virginia while positioning the I-64 Innovation Corridor as the optimal place to expand data center presence.
10 Provide a growing tech-savvy workforce.
The Council will conduct a study in close coordination with existing workforce development organizations. This work will include inventorying the existing tech talent pipeline and future digital infrastructure education and training program needs. The final study will be shared broadly.
