Due to Firefly efforts in Louisa County, students may soon no longer need to rely on public Wi-Fi at fast-food restaurants to complete their homework, according to county officials.

During the April 6 meeting of the Louisa County Board of Supervisors, representatives from Firefly Fiber Broadband provided an update on the ongoing initiative to deliver countywide high-speed internet, announcing significant milestones as the project approaches full connectivity.

Firefly Fiber Broadband, a subsidiary of the Central Virginia Electric Cooperative (CVEC), reported that more than 45,000 homes and businesses have now been connected to its gigabit-speed fiber network. As of the end of March, 11,545 of those connections were located in Louisa County. Officials noted that major construction in the county is now complete, with only a few small areas remaining— primarily locations where easements have recently been secured.

“I can remember when I was here before the board celebrating 500, and here we are nearing 12,000,” said Galen Creekmore, a CVEC representative and Firefly executive.

According to the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, Louisa County led the Commonwealth in broadband connections during a three-year period from 2022 to 2025— figures that have continued to increase.

“We have really filled a massive need in the county, and we are nearing completion,” Creekmore said. “That speaks to the leadership of the Louisa County Board of Supervisors, the willingness to partner with us, and the leadership of Mr. [Firefly, President and CEO Gary] Wood. The success speaks for itself.”

A number of partnerships and expansion initiatives have contributed to the project’s success, including the Regional Internet Service Expansion (RISE) project, which provided $69,612,745 in funding. Since beginning in 2018, the more than $80 million investment has navigated numerous challenges, resulting in the installation of more than 1,400 miles of fiber using a combination of existing infrastructure, fiber huts, and underground conduit.

Through collaboration with Rappahannock Electric Cooperative, Dominion Energy, and with more than a dozen participating counties, Firefly officials say the network is now “nearing the finish line,” with approximately 99% of the Louisa project complete.

Before taking questions from the board, Wood thanked those involved in the effort and reflected on the broader impact of the initiative.

“The greatest partnership has been with Louisa County,” Wood said. “It’s because of all these groups coming together that we have been able to build a great network that is going to last a long, long time. It’s a lot of local folks, and it’s been a small regional project—and we are going to stay regional. We’re not going anywhere.”

Firefly officials also highlighted locations included in the VATI 2024 project that had previously been identified as unserved, noting that the vast majority of those areas will require only short service laterals or drop connections from existing fiber lines.

Several supervisors raised concerns about isolated “anomalies” within their districts, including complications related to railroad easements. Firefly representatives acknowledged the challenges but assured the board that each case is being addressed and that solutions are being developed.

Jackson District Supervisor R.T. “Toni” Williams provided additional context on how the project came together.

“I’m super appreciative of the fantastic job you all have done,” Williams said. “This happened here because Duane Adams sat down at the table and made Rappahannock and you all come together. Rappahannock wasn’t going to be a player and said, ‘Our customers don’t want or need this,’ but yes they do—and we made it happen here. Everybody else is following the agreement that you all worked out. I appreciate the fact that you are proactive and that you have always done what you say you are going to do. If you miss the mark, you come in and say, ‘Here’s how we are going to fix it,’ and that is what I appreciate.”

Louisa District Supervisor Manning Woodward reminded residents that signing up for service is only part of the process, noting that customers must also complete and accept the terms and conditions before installation can be finalized.

Patrick Henry District Supervisor Fitzgerald Barnes spoke to the impact the service has had on both his personal life and the broader community.

“I’m going to be selfish for a minute…this winter storm, I did not have to go out with a broom to sweep off [a satellite] for my TV, because I can stream now.” Barnes stated. “At the beginning, we were told this was going to be as important as paved roads, and since that day I have not seen kids at McDonald’s doing their homework, so thank you.”

Aside from one exception involving an incident during dove hunting season when an individual reportedly shot a fiber line with a shotgun that resulted in approximately $120,000 in repair costs, officials say the lines are extremely durable and held up well during the recent winter storm.

“We have backup power at all of our fiber huts, so it is very likely that during a power outage, if you can power your in-home equipment, you will still have internet access,” Creekmore said.

Mineral District Supervisor and Board Chairman Duane Adams concluded the discussion by reflecting on how significantly connectivity has improved the county.

“Everybody in this room can remember what life was like in Louisa County before we had high-speed internet—it was terrible,” Adams said. “Parts of the county did not have cell phone service. This man will never get credit for the tens of thousands of people that his vision has connected to the internet. From the bottom of my heart, thank you very, very much.”

Residents can check their connection status and view service maps by visiting www.fireflyva.com/ partners/#search-your-county.