Firefly briefs Madison County on fiber rollout, estimates about 6,000 eventual connections

Firefly representatives gave the Madison County Board of Supervisors a detailed progress report on the company’s countywide fiber-to-the-home construction and answered questions from board members and residents.

The company said construction is advancing in phases and that crews are shifting into areas where they will finish splicing and begin customer connections. “The blue areas on this map are in the phase of construction we term as in service,” a Firefly presenter said, adding that blue does not mean every requesting customer has been connected; green indicates areas where fiber is actively being placed and make‑ready work is still underway.

The presenter described a “quilt-like approach” to funding: an earlier VATI (Virginia Telecommunications Initiative) award covered part of the county (referred to in the presentation as the 2022 VATI area) while a later VATI award covered additional areas (2024 VATI). Firefly said one area originally shown for another provider (Brightspeed) was returned to the county’s build after Brightspeed declined to build, and Firefly completed construction there before state reimbursement paperwork was in place.

Company staff put current active service locations near the 480 range and said the larger project footprint places the company “in front of about 5,000 homes” with an expectation of about 6,000 total connected locations by the end of construction, assuming roughly a 60% take rate in the earlier VATI area. The presenter said Firefly is currently making roughly 220–250 connections per week across its system and that pace has increased as crews concentrate in Madison County.

Residents and board members asked about service in specific neighborhoods, how Firefly determines where to place splice points and loops, vehicle- and property-access issues for contractors, and how the company handles areas served by a different electric utility (Dominion Energy) rather than Rappahannock Electric Cooperative. Firefly said it will serve unserved addresses even when the local lines are Dominion by building a short underground extension from the REC poles and that fiber service drops can extend up to 2,500 feet from a splice or splice hut.

A resident described crews parking on private property while working and said a crew leader found an anonymous threatening note; Firefly staff thanked the resident for permitting parking and said crews are instructed to respect property, close gates, and repair ruts. Firefly also described cooperation with Rappahannock Electric Cooperative on make‑ready and pole work and praised REC for coordination.

The company reviewed customer-facing tools: Madison residents can check project status and availability at fireflyva.com under Projects→Search Your County, and the presenter said the project map is updated about every two weeks.

Board members and residents pressed Firefly for timing in particular neighborhoods. Firefly said work in some VATI 2024 areas is already underway and estimated connections in those neighborhoods by late fall or, at the latest, first quarter of next year, while noting the overall 2024 VATI program runs to 2026. The company emphasized that completion timetables vary by make‑ready progress, permitting and pole work, and crew availability.

Firefly fielded technical questions about differences between fiber and satellite or cable service, saying fiber delivers symmetrical speeds and lower latency, and described its local support model: “If you have problem with your Internet service and call, we answer the phone in Palmyra and put it in the truck that probably lives in your area,” the presenter said.

The presentation closed with an offer to provide project-area details to specific constituents and with thanks for patience as crews accelerate work across the county.