The Rio Grande Valley Fiber Optic Network is a public-private partnership that proposes to deploy a new 166-mile fiber network to help transform a region of southern Texas with chronically high unemployment, persistent poverty areas, and a large percentage of disadvantaged and minority populations. Valley Telephone Cooperative’s VTX Communications proposes to improve existing service and increase dark fiber resources available to local anchor institutions. With day-to-day network management conducted by VTX, users plan to connect to one another, the public Internet, and to state and national research and education networks such as LEARN, Internet2, and National Lambda Rail. The project plans to connect 23 anchor institutions affiliated with the higher education community, significantly improving instruction, research, and health services in the region.