Broadband access eyed for wide swath of Central Virginia

Central Virginia counties could see nearly all of their residents receive access to fiber-optic broadband service over the next few years. Nine counties have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that could lead to a partnership to bring high-speed internet to residents who don’t have access, and four additional counties have projects in the works. The MOU is between Firefly Fiber Broadband, which is a subsidiary of the Central Virginia Electric Cooperative; Dominion Energy Virginia; the Rappahannock Electric Cooperative; and the participating localities. It kicks off the possibility of bringing fiber broadband to unserved areas of Albemarle, Appomattox, Buckingham, Cumberland, Fluvanna, Goochland, Greene, Louisa and Powhatan counties. Once the counties sign on and commit to local funding, Firefly plans to submit an application to the Virginia Telecommunication Initiative with a regional plan for broadband service and Dominion will have to take its proposal to the State Corporation Commission for regulatory approvals. Firefly will work with localities to identify the unserved areas and come back with final proposals in late August and early September 2021. As part of this effort, the company set up a web page for Virginians to put in their address and do a speed test if they do have slow service.