%
of rural Americans without broadband
people in Electric Co-Op service areas without broadband
Electric Co-Ops and counting deploying broadband solutions
VMDABC
Connecting Communities Across Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware
Advancing Cutting-Edge Broadband Solutions to Bridge the Digital Divide
We believe having a reliable internet connection is a basic need in today’s digital economy, just like your electric service. Regrettably, nearly 30 percent of Americans living in rural communities do not have access to broadband in their homes and businesses compared to just 2 percent of urban Americans. This divide is evident in rural areas served by Electric Co-ops, with an estimated 13.4 million people in co-op service areas lacking broadband access. More must be done to expand access to broadband services in order to support the economic vitality and well-being of these rural communities. Electric Co-Ops are leading the way to bridge this divide, with nearly 200 co-ops deploying broadband solutions and as many as 100 exploring the feasibility of offering broadband services.
The Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware Association of Broadband Cooperatives (VMDABC) is working to support this effort. VMDABC is a first-of-its-kind association committed to bringing the highest quality broadband to rural communities across our region. Whether you are an Electric Co-op providing the fiber backbone, a middle-mile partner, a last-mile service provider, an infrastructure manufacturer, a supplier, or an installation contractor, we invite you to join our effort to bring broadband to our rural communities.
Latest News
2023 Session Recap
By Staff Reports, Virginia, Maryland & Delaware Association of Electric Cooperatives Published: February 27, 2023 After almost two months of negotiation and debate, legislators adjourned the 2023 Virginia General Assembly Session on Saturday without a budget. While some business of the Commonwealth is left unfinished, Virginia’s electric cooperatives had resounding victories and made great strides in our […]
Brunswick Expansion Complete in Record Time
By Staff Reports, Virginia, Maryland & Delaware Association of Electric Cooperatives Published: February 27, 2023 In 2019, county, state and federal dignitaries celebrated as USDA announced a $3.8M fiber expansion awarded to EMPOWER Broadband to serve southern Brunswick County. This highly successful project was completed this winter and brings high-speed fiber internet three years ahead of schedule. […]
Opinion/Column: Pass law and expand broadband
By Gary Wood, Special to The Daily Progress Published: January 31, 2023 While there are so many hot button issues that dominate our TVs, there’s one that isn’t controversial — or at least it shouldn’t be: broadband access. Electric cooperatives and their broadband affiliates like Firefly, where I am manager, have worked tirelessly to deliver it. Collectively, […]
Keeping Progress On (And Over) The Rails in Virginia
Leaning Right and Turning Left with Sadler and the Senator When you give this electrifying episode a listen, you will find that the rural electric co-ops efforts are making amazing changes to Virginia’s rural areas that are just so very critical for the future of our Commonwealth. Click here for full podcast
Broadband Legislation Flies Through Virginia Senate After Full Vote
Published: January 31, 2023 Broadband legislation advances through Senate and House Committees, with the Senate bill passing a full floor vote on Tuesday The Virginia Senate has advanced SB 1029, sponsored by Sen. Bill Stanley, passing with overwhelming, bipartisan support. Legislators of all political affiliations, backgrounds and geographic regions are echoing Cooperatives’ commitment to ensuring every Virginian […]
Virginia Senate backs Stanley’s broadband bill – from Richland Times-Dispatch
By Charlotte Rene Woods Published: January 31, 2023 A broadband bill by Sen. Bill Stanley, R-Franklin County, endorsed by broadband cooperatives, passed the Senate Tuesday. Senate Bill 1029 would kick off a 30-day response process when companies and co-ops apply for permission to cross railroad tracks. Stanley said it has taken months sometimes to get a response from railroad […]
Bill to expand broadband access in Virginia passes Senate – from WJHL 11
By Murray Lee Published: February 1, 2023 at 4:48 PM RICHMOND, Va. (WJHL) – A bill that could widely increase access to broadband internet service in rural parts of Virginia has cleared all hurdles in the state Senate. A release from the Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware Association of Broadband Cooperatives (VMDABC) states Senate Bill 1029 passed the Virginia Senate […]
Senate passes bipartisan bill pushing for broadband in rural Virginia -from ABC 13 News WSET
By Robert Locklear Published: February 1, 2023 at 8:16 AM (WSET) — Broadband is a need for rural Virginians–or at least that’s what the Virginia Senate voted for on Tuesday. The Senate passed SB 1029, which is a bill pushing to bring broadband access to every Virginian, especially in remote and rural areas. Click here for full article
State Officials, Railroads Clash Over Legislative Overhaul of Broadband Railroad Crossing Fees – from RT&S
By Kyra Senese, Managing Editor Published: January 27, 2023 During this year’s legislative session, bills introduced in the Virginia House of Delegates and Virginia Senate seek to standardize the process and associated fees for broadband providers crossing railroads. Fiber deployments that require crossing railroad rights of way can become bogged down in bureaucratic red tape and onerous […]
Virginia Tackles Thorny Issue of Fiber Railroad Crossings – from Fierce Telecom
By Diana Goovaerts Published: February 1, 2023 The Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware Association of Broadband Cooperatives (VMDABC) and the Virginia Association of Counties, which have been pushing for legislation to address the issue, have said crossing fees can total as much as $20,000 per crossing. The Senate bill working its way through Virginia’s legislature aims to cap railroad fees at $750 […]
Broadband providers, railroads clash on crossing legislation – from WDBJ/Channel 7
By Joe Dashiell Published: Jan. 27, 2023 at 7:10 PM EST RICHMOND, Va. (WDBJ) – A dispute between broadband providers and railroads in Virginia is playing out in the General Assembly. And how it’s resolved could have an impact on thousands of people who are waiting for high speed internet. At issue is how long it takes […]
States look to speed fiber installation across railroad tracks – from GNC.com
JANUARY 24, 2023 Virginia’s legislature wants to cap crossing fees and speed up the review process, but railroad companies say current practices protect safety. Fiber deployments that need to cross railroad rights of way sometimes get mired in bureaucratic delays and onerous fees that can impact the financial viability of deployment, some states say. The […]
VMDABC
Class A Members
