The Friends of Municipal Broadband is a consortium of municipal broadband networks and their supporters across the Commonwealth of Virginia that evaluates legislation and takes a position where needed to advocate for all the ways municipal broadband authorities can help close the digital divide.
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In 2021, FOMB successfully advocated for an expansion of the electric co-op pilot program, allowing for municipal broadband providers to partner directly with organizations like AEP and Dominion Energy. Additionally, FOMB introduced a budget amendment that opened up the VATI grant program to direct applications from municipal broadband authorities.
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In 2019 and 2020, FOMB worked to remove the term non-government from the state broadband budget and several related rule-making documents. They also advocated successfully to create a seat on the broadband advisory council dedicated to a representative from the municipal broadband community.
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In 2017, FOMB successfully opposed HB2108 which would have severely limited broadband authorities’ operational efficacy across the Commonwealth of Virginia.