Efforts to expand broadband in the Commonwealth of Virginia got another boost this week with the release of $41 million in funds through the Virginia Telecommunications Initiative (VATI).
That includes an additional $12.2 million for a public-private partnership led by the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Committee and Firefly Fiber Broadband. That will be part of a $48.6 million expansion that will build on infrastructure owned by the Central Virginia Electric Cooperative, the Rappahannock Electric Cooperative, Dominion Energy, and the various county governments involved.
This will expand service to a potential of 5,825 households in Amherst, Appomattox, Buckingham, Campbell, Fluvanna, Goochland, Greene, Louisa, Madison, and Powhatan counties.
The expansion builds on previous work the partnership has done according to TJPDC Deputy Director David Blount.
“Moving right along, Firefly is doing great work,” Blount said. “We just got a report from them that they completed more than 13,000 passings with their fiber construction and that’s on the way to the 36,000 plus passings that are the milestone for the VATI 2022.”
Blount said Firefly is requesting permission to get started on the new expansion as soon as possible.
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