For Immediate Release

[Arrington, VA] – Central Virginia Electric Cooperative (CVEC) is the first cooperative in Virginia to be inducted into the Conexon 100 Club for completing its on-system fiber network and ensuring broadband access to all of its 39,000 members. This achievement illustrates CVEC’s commitment to community connectivity and empowering members to access telehealth, education, remote work, and business opportunities.

The Conexon 100 Club honors electric co-ops around the country that have reached the milestone of a fiber-to-the home network, providing access to 100 percent of their membership. A total of 25 Conexon partner electric cooperatives across 10 states have achieved Conexon 100 Club status and were inducted as the program’s inaugural honorees. The efforts and investment by co-ops mean the homes and businesses they serve will be able to realize the opportunities to thrive with the community-transforming power of high-speed internet.

The CVEC Board of Directors reached out to Conexon in 2018 to launch a feasibility study to consider all aspects of the fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) project and made the decision to partner with Conexon to launch a fiber build to all CVEC members. Approximately 90 percent of CVEC members had no option for reliable, affordable broadband at the time.

“CVEC’s decision to build fiber across our entire service area was transformational because it provided the same level of internet access to every one of our members,” said Gary Wood, CVEC and Firefly President and CEO. “It was also the beginning of Firefly’s RISE Project that leverages CVEC’s existing fiber to provide access to our neighbors who are not members but desperately need reliable, affordable broadband. The project has really taken flight and 85,000 homes and businesses will be able to choose Firefly for their internet service by the end of 2025. And Firefly plans to continue lighting up the rural central Virginia landscape for years to come. As long as there is a need, we will keep growing!”

What was originally slated to be a 3,500-mile, five-year FTTH project to its members, was fast-tracked to be completed in just four years. Through CVEC’s fiber network and wholly-owned subsidiary, Firefly Fiber Broadband^SM, all 39,000 CVEC members now have access to affordable, high-speed internet.

Firefly celebrated reaching 30,000 connections in June and will turn six years old later this month.

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Central Virginia Electric Cooperative is a member-owned, not-for-profit, electric utility serving 39,000 homes, farms and businesses in the rural portions of 14 Virginia counties. CVEC connects its members and communities through reliable power and broadband services, delivering world-class, high-speed internet service through its subsidiary, Firefly Fiber Broadband^SM. CVEC and its subsidiary are equal opportunity providers and employers. For more information, visit www.mycvec.com.