Governor Northam visited Lyles Baptist Church in Palmyra where he joined the Central Virginia Electric Cooperative (CVEC) and public officials in announcing plans to expand rural broadband in southeastern Fluvanna County using grant funds awarded by the Virginia Telecommunication Initiative (VATI), according to a release from CVEC.

The CVEC plans to build fiber to members served by the Columbia substation, which is located in Fluvanna County and serves more than 500 members residing in Fluvanna and Cumberland counties.

“Access to reliable high speed internet is a vital component to participating in the 21st century economy, and I commend Fluvanna County and the Central Virginia Electric Cooperative for working with the Commonwealth to connect over 500 premises to a world-class fiber network,” Governor Northam said in the release. “These partnerships represent exactly the kind of creative thinking and problem-solving we need to ensure rural Virginia has the tools to attract and retain businesses, create jobs and opportunity, and build a stronger quality of life for our citizens.”

The plans for rural broadband in Fluvanna County are part of a five-year plan for CVEC to install more than 4,500 miles of fiber-optic cable in the 14 counties it serves, providing broadband internet to all of its 37,000 members, the release cited. “There is no doubt that citizens and businesses today must have broadband access to get ahead, but many rural communities still lack the connectivity,” Fluvanna County Administrator Eric Dahl said in the release. “This VATI grant award helps to address a broadband need for many unserved or underserved citizens in rural southeast Fluvanna County. We look forward to our continued partnership with CVEC and future VATI grant opportunities addressing other areas within our community.”

With the addition of a fiber network, CVEC will be able to better incorporate smart grid technology into its daily operations, improve integration of distributed energy resources, and help lower power costs through interactive energy management programs. “The installation of fiber will provide improved communications, security, and reliability along CVEC’s power network to improve electric service for all members,” said CVEC President and CEO Gary Wood in the release. “In addition, CVEC can make the fiber available to its members who want affordable, reliable, true high speed broadband access.”

CVEC will install and own the fiber-optic cable, using it to expand communications for its electric system, and its wholly-owned subsidiary will offer retail internet and phone services to its members through Firefly Fiber Broadband (SM).

Cooperative members will be able to purchase high-speed internet of 100 megabits per second at $49.99 per month or 1 gigabit per second for $79.99 per month, according to the release. More information on the fiber construction schedule can be found on CVEC’s website: www.mycvec.com.