Virtual Valley was a free-access dial-up public Internet Service Provider/web publishing venture initiated by Metro Silicon Valley with content and promotional support from public television station KTEH and a grant of frame-relay Internet access from Pacific Bell

Pacific Bell

The Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company was the name of the Bell System's telephone operations in California. It gained in size by acquiring smaller telephone companies along the Pacific coast, such as Sunset Telephone & Telegraph in 1917...

 . Operations commenced in 1994. The aim of the project was to provide online publishing services at low- or no cost to individuals, municipal governments and non-profits. Office space, dialup lines, modems and servers were provided by Metro's publisher, Dan Pulcrano

Dan Pulcrano

Dan Pulcrano is a journalist, newspaper owner and Web executive in San Jose, California. He is CEO and executive editor of Metro Silicon Valley, Silicon Valley’s alternative newsweekly, as well as its sister publications, Santa Cruz Weekly and the North Bay Bohemian...

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The service featured an interface designed by Dutch graphic designer Erik van Blokland that offered a clickable map of Santa Clara Valley communities. It was a spinoff of Metro's earlier online service, Livew!re, founded in 1993. The service was announced at a press conference that included San Jose Mayor Susan Hammer

Susan Hammer

Susan Hammer was the mayor of San Jose, California from 1991 - 1999. She was voted best local politician six times. Previous to serving as mayor, she represented San Jose's Council District Three from 1983 - 1991....

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The importance of this venture cannot be underestimated. At a time when it was exceedingly difficult for a small- or medium-sized organizations to set up a web presence, find an ISP, incur the recurring charges of a new service, etc. in rapidly evolving cyberspace, VV was an ambitious attempt to level the playing field for the non-profit and governmental sectors.