After a successful year of working to close the broadband connectivity gap through the mid-Atlantic region, the Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware Association of Broadband Cooperatives (VMDABC) is in the midst of its fourth annual Rural Fiber Expo in Annapolis.
Chair Casey Logan opened up the Annual Meeting on Wednesday with the following remarks as prepared for delivery:
Good afternoon everyone,
It is with immense pride and gratitude that I stand before you today to reflect on the remarkable journey our organization has undertaken over the past year. This annual meeting is not just a formality; it is a celebration of our collective achievements, a testament to our resilience, and a beacon of our future aspirations.
When we look back at the past year, we see a tapestry woven with hard work, innovation, and unwavering dedication. Our team has surpassed expectations, achieving milestones that once seemed ambitious. We have expanded our market presence, received more grant dollars for expansion, and strengthened our relationships with the legislature and DHCD. These accomplishments are not just numbers on a report; they are the result of countless hours of effort, creativity, and collaboration.
4 VMDABC members collectively won over $17M dollars in the latest VATI grant round.
Growth of our Members:
- Bee Online Advantage has 650 subscribers
- Ruralband is approaching 5,000 subscribers
- EMPOWER has over 6,000 subscribers
- BARC Connects has over 5,000 subscribers
- Choptank Fiber has over 6,400
- And Gary Wood, who is approaching an amazing 35,000 subscribers at Firefly
As we celebrate our achievements, we must also look to the future with optimism and determination. The landscape of our industry is ever-changing, and we must remain agile and innovative to stay ahead. Our focus for the coming year will be on protecting our Cooperatives from harmful legislation and advocating for our membership, ensuring that DHCD remembers and understands the cost to deploy broadband in our state is not uniform throughout our geographical regions.
In closing, I want to express my deepest gratitude to each and every one of you. Together, we have built something truly remarkable. Let us carry forward the spirit of collaboration, innovation, and excellence that defines our organization.
And…. Make no mistake about it, if it wasn’t for the Cooperatives in this room, Virginia would not have the broadband success it is currently experiencing.
