To advance the objective of providing universal broadband access to all underserved and unserved areas in Central Virginia, the TJPDC again has partnered with Firefly Fiber Broadband in applying for an additional $15.7 million in 2024 Virginia Telecommunication Initiative (VATI) funding through the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). This funding would support a $53.6 million expansion to our current project with Firefly by building on existing infrastructure, incorporating the Central Virginia Electric Cooperative (CVEC) fiber network, and continuing the collaborative partnerships with Rappahannock Electric Cooperative, Dominion Energy, and county governments.
The goal of the VATI 2024 application is to bring broadband at gigabit speeds to an additional 6,266 newly eligible locations in 11 of the counties included in our current VATI-supported project, including Amherst, Appomattox, Buckingham, Campbell, Cumberland, Fluvanna, Goochland, Greene, Louisa, Madison, and Powhatan counties.