When it comes to technology, Virginia has different levels of broadband Internet access in varying parts of the state. Arlington and Fairfax – with their focus on the federal government generally and the Department of Defense in particular – are generally considered to be the high-tech corridor.

Those of us in Southern Virginia take technology no less seriously. Broadband access to the Internet provides us with a level playing field when competing for customers or contracts with our friends in the north.

If we consider Chambers of Commerce as businesses, think about how different a marketing campaign to attract new businesses is in 2010 from what it was just 10 or 20 years ago. In the 1990’s Chambers had to buy lists of prospective businesses, print glossy brochures, mail them, follow up with phone calls and hope to arrange face-to-face meetings at some point.

In 2010 a simple search of the Internet for the types of businesses the Chamber is looking to attract - engineering firms, design firms, light manufacturing, or retail - can generate a high-quality list of candidates which, for the price of an email with a full-color attachment, can often lead to serious discussions.

A design firm that is acting as a sub-contractor to a major defense firm need not have offices in the expensive suburbs of Washington, DC. The company can move to a location in Southern Virginia where housing is less expensive and where the over-all quality of life is exceptional. The design firm can work collaboratively over a broadband connection to the Internet and, if a face-to-face meeting is necessary a short day trip up Route 29 and I-66 will often suffice.

Manufacturing or retail firms can reach out to a customer base which extends far beyond the borders of The Old Dominion and even beyond the borders of the United States. A well-designed web page makes selling products and services as easy to someone in London as it is to someone in Lexington.

It works in the other direction, as well. Buying materials needed in the manufacturing process can be much more efficient as checking for the best prices and delivery options are a few mouse clicks away. Retailers can buy from suppliers around the globe to present to their local customers the same variety and quality as any major department store in any suburban mall.

Using broadband Internet, our students have access to the same research materials as they compete for hard-to-get slots at VaTech, UVA, or any of our other high-quality universities. And our workforce can learn new skills, or upgrade existing skills using broadband to get free or inexpensive training over the Internet.

The Mid-Atlantic Broadband Cooperative (http://www.mbc-va.com/), nDanville (http://www.ndanville.net/) and other regional initiatives have laid the foundation. With broadband available to every household and every business, Southern Virginia can compete with any region of any state in America.

Wayne Wilson writes at SouthernVirginia.com