MadRapp Recorder: Firefly and Madison celebrates milestones at Early Mountain Vineyards

MADRAPP RECORDER

Monday Firefly Fiber Broadband, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Central Virginia Electric Cooperative, announced a milestone in its mission to connect unserved residents and businesses in Madison County to world-class high speed fiber broadband has been achieved.

To celebrate the first internet connections in the county, project partners Rappahannock Electric Cooperative (REC), Thomas Jefferson Planning District, and Madison County government gathered with local and federal leaders at Early Mountain Vineyards for a program and ribbon-cutting ceremony.

During the program, Firefly President and CEO Gary Wood, announced that service would be extended to more Madison County residents and businesses as a result of the recently awarded 2024 Virginia Telecommunication Initiative grant.

“It’s Firefly season here in Madison County,” Wood said. “As of today, we have plans to serve more than 5,000 locations throughout the county with a commitment to build to every unserved location in Madison.”

Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger, an avid supporter of broadband expansion in Virginia’s 7th District, joined the line-up of speakers and expressed her enthusiasm for the partnerships that resulted in opening the gateway to connectivity in Madison County.

 “Once upon a time it was electrifying communities that was the make or break between who got left behind and who got to be part of the future, Spanberger said. “In this day and age, it is who can connect to broadband internet. Broadband is not just a convenience, it is necessary for opportunity.”

REC President/CEO John Hewa said: “This project is a win-win-win-win.”

“First, we have members who are getting access to affordable, high-speed broadband. Second, we are strengthening the grid. Third, we are leveraging a lot of federal dollars. And then, lastly, this is absolutely one of the best demonstrations of cooperation among cooperatives and what happens when individuals and organizations and government and the county and everyone leans forward to make something happen.”

Madison County’s local elected leaders have been critical to the success of this fiber project.

“It has been a key focus and goal of mine and of our county leadership to achieve universal coverage border-to-border here in Madison County,” said County Administrator Jonathon Weakley. “With Firefly, we know we are in good hands.”

Firefly’s Regional Internet Service Expansion (RISE) Project was launched in 2021 to expand broadband to parts of 13 counties, making internet high-speed internet accessible to more than 45,000 locations and 112,000 Virginians.

The RISE project includes 5,000 miles of fiber construction and will cost $330 million to complete. The project is executed by partnering with other area utilities to complete the fiber build, using funds secured from the VATI grants and county contributions to aid with construction costs.

“This project required local governments, state governments, broadband providers and other deployment partners – like utilities – to work together in concert to best serve their communities,” says Bill Curtis, Assistant Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development. “I hope that future projects look to this one as a model for exemplary partnerships, innovative solution, and wholistic funding sources.”

Firefly is also the internet service provider (ISP) for the CVEC fiber build, a $130 million plan that installed over 4,500 miles of fiber-optic cable in the 14 counties it serves, providing broadband internet access to all of its 39,000 members. The fiber network, completed in 2022, is owned by CVEC and uses laser light and glass fibers to move data at speeds of up to one gigabit per second, delivering world-class communications to CVEC members.

Firefly achieved the milestone of connecting 30,000 customers in June and celebrated its sixth year in business at the end of July.

More information about areas included in this build and for pricing on internet and phone packages, visit Firefly’s website.