County-wide Fiber Broadband

How Broadband Coverage is Expanding in Louisa

In 2021, Louisa County finalized a partnership with Rappahannock Electric Cooperative (REC), Firefly Fiber Broadband (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Central Virginia Electric Cooperative), and Dominion Energy Virginia to ensure high-speed internet access is made available to all of the homes and businesses in the County. The initiative will leverage the existing electrical infrastructure in the County. 

(Installation image, Poindexter Road in Louisa County)

Who is Providing the Internet Service?

Firefly is the internet service provider for the partnership and will ensure the availability of fiber broadband on a county-wide basis. 

REC will own a fiber network where it delivers electricity in the counties of Louisa, Albemarle, Goochland, Greene, and Madison. Firefly will serve as the internet service provider. This project will also improve reliability and resiliency while modernizing the grid to provide advanced energy solutions.

Dominion Energy is installing fiber in rural areas as it moves forward with efforts to transform Virginia’s energy grid. This fiber capacity can be used for operational needs as well as broadband access, reducing broadband deployment costs for internet service providers. Under the agreement, Firefly will lease the “middle-mile” fiber installed by Dominion Energy in the company’s electric service area in nine counties.

As Firefly is a wholly-owned subsidiary of CVEC, the fiber-optic network will be installed on and adjacent to CVEC electric distribution lines. 

I See Work Trucks in My Area ... How Long Until Service is Available?

The entire fiber construction process takes six to eight months from the beginning of make ready engineering to the final connections inside homes/businesses. The first phase in the fiber construction process is field engineering and once complete, make ready construction crews will move in to make modifications to the poles and change some poles. Following the make ready construction, fiber construction will begin as the fiber optic cable is added to the electric facilities. After that step, splicing will take place and then service extensions will be added. Learn more about the phases of fiber construction.  

When Will Service Be Available throughout the County?

In December 2021, $79 million was awarded in Virginia Telecommunication Initiative (VATI) grants to Firefly Fiber Broadband and its partner REC. The funding will support the $288 million project which endeavors to offer universal access to gigabit speed broadband service to 36,000 unserved homes and businesses in 13 counties in Central Virginia, including Louisa. The VATI grants are anticipated to greatly accelerate the Firefly RISE Project which includes 5,000 miles of fiber.

Construction Updates

Firefly has made great progress making connections throughout the County to-date, and offers the following construction updates to our citizens. Through this initiative, all homes and businesses in Louisa County are expected to have high-speed access by 2025.