MBC to Build Fiber Optic Network in Southern Virginia

Mid-Atlantic Broadband Cooperative (MBC) will build a new fiber-optic network measuring 170 miles across southern Virginia’s counties.

High-speed internet network will be constructed by using the federal stimulus fund worth over $10 million. The network will also cover the Southampton County and will begin from the Virginia Beach to the Cumberland Gap.

Construction of the new fiber-optic network is scheduled to begin in the coming months and the network will serve nearly 84,000 users. The $10 million funding includes $1.2 million from the Old Dominion University and $1.2 million from the Mid-Atlantic Broadband. Four months back, Buggs Island Telephone was granted $22.8 million to enhance and expand the voice communications and broadband networks in Southern Virginia.  

Mid-Atlantic Broadband’s CEO, Tad Deriso, stated that the project will allow southern Virginia’s rural areas to connect to the rest of the globe. The network will begin from the Emporia County and will pass through the U.S. Route 58 into the Suffolk County, he said.