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Firefly updates Goochland on RISE broadband rollout; $10M grant to add roughly 981 passings
Summary
Firefly representatives told the Board that an updated VITI grant and recent funding will add about 981 passings and 112 miles of fiber in Goochland; they reported a $10 million project with a county match of $250,000 and said take rates are typically 50—60% when service is first available.
Firefly representatives reported project progress and timelines for the RISE broadband rollout in Goochland during the March 4 Board of Supervisors meeting.
Paul Drumwright introduced Fireflys presentation; Gary Wood explained that weather delays and a damaged backbone cable slowed splicing work in some areas, but that backbone work is in place and connections are starting in several neighborhoods.
Firefly provided project metrics: the newest grant adds roughly 981 passings and about 112 miles of fiber, the VITI 2022 grant work is intended to be complete by August in backbone terms, the project total is about $10 million with the county contributing a $250,000 match, and the remainder covered by state and private funding. Firefly said it currently has about 1,100 active customer connections and that initial take rates in newly served areas typically range from about 50% to 60%, improving over time.
They described technical details: the company can install a service drop at no cost up to about 2,500 feet from the road if the customer signs while Firefly is building in the area; beyond that distance, customers may be charged for the extension (the company quoted about $1.10 per foot as a typical extension charge). Firefly also said its network equipment is being designed for future upgrades (2.5 Gbps service) and that newly purchased huts are generator-backed for reliability.
Board members asked about availability in particular subdivisions, the hotspot lending program described earlier by the library board, and the companys approach to overlap with incumbent providers. Firefly said its intent is to reach unserved locations but that some overlap may occur if incumbents later extend service to long lateral extensions.
Next steps: Firefly will continue splicing as weather permits; staff and residents may use the companys website project map and service-availability checker to confirm eligibility.
Representative quote: "Total passings with the new grant, 981, 112 miles of fiber and it's a $10,000,000 project and the county's given us $250,000," the presenter said.
