The TJPDC is the administrator for a 2022 Virginia Telecommunication Initiative (VATI) grant that will facilitate rural broadband expansion across a 13-county area, including the five counties that are part of the TJPDC region. The $79 million grant from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), along with $209 million in local and private sector matching funds, support the $288 million project that will provide access to high-speed internet to more than 36,000 residents and business in the counties.
TJPDC has been working closely this year with our partner, Firefly Fiber Internet, to complete various reports, documents and other required information as part of pre-contact activities for DHCD. TJPDC recently completed submission of all required documents and expects to soon be under contract with the DHCD, which will officially get the grant project underway. Meanwhile, Firefly has continued to work in the recent months on design and pre-construction work in a number of the project’s counties. Regular updates about the status of the project will be communicated through the Firefly website, as well as by the TJPDC and Firefly.