Firefly Fiber BroadbandSM Receives $79 Million Grant from Virginia Telecommunication Initiative to Provide Universal Broadband Service to Unserved Accounts in 13 Central Virginia Counties

For Immediate Release

Date: December 13, 2021
Contact: Melissa Gay, 434-263-7638 (mgay@mycvec.com)

Firefly Fiber Broadband^SM Receives $79 Million Grant from Virginia Telecommunication Initiative
to Provide Universal Broadband Service to Unserved Accounts in 13 Central Virginia Counties

Goochland, Va. – Governor Ralph Northam today announced the award of $79 million in Virginia Telecommunication Initiative (VATI) grants to Firefly Fiber BroadbandSM, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Central Virginia Electric Cooperative, and its partner Rappahannock Electric Cooperative (REC). The funding will support the $288 million project which endeavors to offer universal access to gigabit speed broadband service to 36,000 unserved homes and businesses in 13 counties in Central Virginia. Elected officials from each county in the project voted to contribute funds, totaling $33.5 million. The fiber construction will take approximately three years to complete and will include 4,000 miles of fiber. Dominion Energy Virginia will support the extension of broadband to unserved areas by deploying middle-mile fiber that Firefly will use to connect end-customers to the internet. Continue reading full announcement.

Governor Northam Announces Virginia Deploys $2 Billion to Achieve Near-Universal Broadband