Construction is now complete for the first phase of the Cumberland Plateau fiber optic backbone, which stretches from Abingdon along Route 19 and 460 to the small business incubator in Richlands. Businesses and government offices which are located within 1,000 feet of the backbone's path are eligible to be connected for high-speed Internet services. The high speed data service enabled by the backbone was a major asset in Russell County's successful effort to attract more than 700 technology-based jobs.