In partnership with Firefly Fiber Broadband, Albemarle County is committing $2.4M to construct fiber broadband service to approximately 1,500 locations; completing our goal of achieving universal broadband access by the end of 2025. This project is largely funded by American Rescue Plan Act State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, along with private investment and some locally derived County funds. Firefly Fiber Broadband has been a partner in previous funding opportunities and provides a customer-centric gigabit fiber internet experience. As a subsidiary of the Central Virginia Electric Cooperative, and the recipient of grant funding from the federal Regional Digital Opportunity Fund and a Virginia Telecommunications Initiative 2022 award, Firefly already serves over 3,000 locations in the County, well on its way to serving approximately 10,000 in Albemarle. This project will be part of Firefly's RISE program, and residents can learn more at: http://www.fireflyva.com/RISE/ and can pre-register for service at http://register.fireflyva.com/.

The Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission, in collaboration with 13 counties and Firefly Fiber Broadband, was awarded a Virginia Telecommunications Initiative 2022 grant by the Department of Housing and community Development's Broadband Office. The project plans to connect over 36,000 locations across all participating counties, including over 5,000 in Albemarle, by the end of 2025. 

Albemarle joined the project after soliciting proposals from broadband providers for an ambitious effort to materially advance the County's goal of universal broadband access. Firefly's proposal stretched across every  corner of Albemarle, and represents the largest single effort to address the digital divide in Albemarle County. The project utilizes electric utility infrastructure to extend fiber service to every eligible location identified at the time of the proposal. 

Firefly Fiber Broadband, a subsidiary of the Central Virginia Electric Cooperative (CVEC), provides gigabit fiber broadband service. Initially service was available only for CVEC customers, however, legislative changes and funding opportunities have allowed Firefly to extend its service beyond its original footprint. Firefly already serves over 3,000 residents in Albemarle County, and that number will more than triple by the end of 2025. 

Residents interested in the project can learn more at http://www.fireflyva.com/RISE/ and can pre-register for service at http://register.fireflyva.com/. 

In partnership with Brightspeed (formerly CenturyLink), the Albemarle Broadband Authority received a Virginia Telecommunications Initiative 2021 award by the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) to serve approximately 1,400 locations in ten project areas across Albemarle County. Construction for the project began in Fall of 2021 and was largely completed in March, 2023. 

Webinars for this project were held with the public monthly throughout the construction period and can be found on the Albemarle County YouTube page by searching for 'VATI.' 

Oversight of the project by the office and DHCD revealed that locations intended to be included in this project had been omitted by Brightspeed. In order to complete the project, ten additional locations will be connected by June 2024, and public funding for the project has been reduced to reflect those locations that will not be served through this effort. Residents in this latter group should receive notification to that effect and can contact our office to learn how their locations fit into future plans. 

Residents that believe they are included in this project can go to http://q.brightspeed.com/ to order service.