About
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Membership
By investing in a one-time membership fee with MBC, members join a not-for-profit, member-owned cooperative that is dedicated to providing its members with wholesale broadband telecommunications products, services and programs at the lowest possible cost.
Privacy Policy
Thank you for visiting the Mid-Atlantic Broadband Cooperative web site, and reviewing our Privacy Policy. This policy addresses collection, use, security, and access to information that may be obtained through use of the Mid-Atlantic Broadband Cooperative web site.
Cookies: No user information is collected through cookies on the Mid-Atlantic Broadband Cooperative web site. Should this policy change at some point in the future, Mid-Atlantic Broadband Cooperative will note that change here.
Information Collected And How It Is Used: If you do nothing during your visit to the Mid-Atlantic Broadband Cooperative web site except browse and download information, the following information about your visit is automatically collected and stored:
1. The Internet domain and IP address from which you accessed our site
2. The type of browser and operating system you used
3. The date and time you visited this site
4. The pages you visited
5. If you linked from another web site, the address of that web site
This information is used to improve the content of our web service and help us understand how our pages are being used. We regularly analyze this information to improve the value of the materials available on our site.
The information on our web logs is not personally viewable and no attempt is made to link it with individuals that browse our web site.
If, during your visit to the Mid-Atlantic Broadband Cooperative web site, you send an e-mail message, the contents of the message which you supplied, including audio, video, and graphic information formats you send will be collected. We use this information to respond appropriately. This may be to respond to you, to address issues you have raised, to further improve our web site, or to forward your message to another agency for appropriate action.
Public Disclosure: the Mid-Atlantic Broadband Cooperative web site does not collect personal information, but is subject to the requirements for administering information systems as established by the Virginia Privacy Protection Act, Chapter 26 of Title 2.1 of the Code of Virginia. Pages that appear after you click on a link may be controlled by a different entity whose practices are not under Mid-Atlantic Broadband Cooperative’s control.
Disclaimer: Neither Mid-Atlantic Broadband Cooperative nor any employee of Mid-Atlantic Broadband Cooperative warrants accuracy, reliability or timeliness of any information published by this system, nor endorses any content, viewpoints, products or services linked from this system, and shall not be held liable for any losses caused by reliance on the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of such information. Portions of such information may be incorrect or outdated. Any person or entity that relies solely on any information obtained from this system does so at his or her own risk.
Advanced Technologies
MBC offers state-of-the-art technologies and services:
- Advanced Open-Access Fiber Optic backbone
- Carrier-Class Infrastructure
- Wholesale Optical Transport to Major Markets
- Communication Tower Leasing
See the links on the left for more details about the MBC Network.
For more information, contact Tad Deriso, MBC General Manager, at tad@mbc-va.com or call Tad at 804.855.4057.
Business Opportunities
There are many advantages to doing business in Virginia:
- Low Cost of Doing Business
- Affordable, Reliable Power
- Proximity to Major Markets
- A Skilled Workforce
Doing business in Virginia has never been better. Virginia was ranked as “The #1 State for Business” in 2007 by Forbes.com and CNBC.
Managed Services
MBC members sometimes need additional fiber laterals to be constructed from existing MBC access points or Node buildings. The MBC Network Operations Manager works closely with the member to determine requirements, route selection and construction cost estimates for MBC capital funding to build laterals for the member. MBC can leverage its existing right-of-way agreements with VDOT (Virginia Department of Transportation) and joint-use agreements (with AEP, Dominion Power, Verizon, Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative, Southside Electric Cooperative, City of Danville Utilities, and the City of Martinsville Utilities) to build new, cost-effective open-access fiber laterals into Carrier POP’s, Communications Towers, Water Towers, End-User Buildings/Facilities, Data Centers, Backbone Extensions, and a number of other connections.
MBC contracts with qualified local contractors who have the skill sets and knowledge of the region and agency permit requirements to build new laterals. MBC coordinates the construction, splicing, termination, testing and inspection for all fiber projects to ensure that the fiber builds meet stringent quality control requirements. For larger projects, (5 miles or more of fiber construction), MBC may solicit construction bids from qualified contractors.
MBC will review plans and/or needs for fiber builds/extensions for MBC members. MBC will develop a proposal to build fiber laterals/backbone extensions for any member who requests that service.
For more information, contact Tad Deriso, MBC General Manager, at tad@mbc-va.com or call Tad at 804.855.4057.
Member Services
Mission Statement
The Mid-Atlantic Broadband Cooperative (MBC) provides the leadership and technology infrastructure necessary to assist in the economic revitalization efforts of Southside, Virginia by providing high capacity optical transport services on MBC’s regional and long haul network from Atlanta, GA to Washington, DC.
Sussex County
Chamber of Commerce Information
Sally McGrath
Sussex County Chamber of Commerce
Executive Director
P.O. Box 1303
Sussex VA 23884-0303
Fax (434) 246-8022
(434) 246-8022
smcgrathgrammie1@peoplepc.com
http://www.sussexvachamber.org
Services Offered
Dark Fiber
TDM: DS1 to OC-192
IP: 10meg to 1GigE
Co-location Shelter
For More Information
Tad Deriso
General Manager
(804) 786-7692
Prince Edward County
Chamber of Commerce Information
Wanda Whitus
Farmville Area Chamber of Commerce
President
P.O. Box 361
Farmville VA 23901-0361
Fax (434) 392-3160
(434) 392-3939
wwhitus@chamber.farmville.net
http://www.chamber.farmville.net
Services Offered
Dark Fiber
TDM: DS1 to OC-192
IP: 10meg to 1GigE
Co-location Shelter
For More Information
Tad Deriso
General Manager
(804) 786-7692
Patrick County
Chamber of Commerce Information
Patrick Patty
Hazelwood Patrick County Chamber of Commerce
President
101 Stonewall Court
Stuart VA 24171
Fax (276) 694-3582
(276) 694-6012
pchamber@sitestar.net
http://www.co.patrick.va.us
Services Offered
Dark Fiber
TDM: DS1 to OC-192
IP: 10meg to 1GigE
Co-location Shelter
For More Information
Tad Deriso
General Manager
(804) 786-7692
Nottoway County
Chamber of Commerce Information
Joyce Simpson
Crewe-Burkville Chamber of Commerce
President
P.O. Box 305
Crewe VA 23930-0305
Fax (434) 645-8301
(434) 645-2130
chamber@creweburkeville.com
Services Offered
Dark Fiber
TDM: DS1 to OC-192
IP: 10meg to 1GigE
Co-location Shelter
For More Information
Tad Deriso
General Manager
(804) 786-7692
Mecklenburg County
Chamber of Commerce Information
Frank Malone
South Hill Chamber of Commerce
Executive Director
201 South Mecklenburg Ave
South Hill VA 23970-2619
Fax (804) 447-4461
(804) 447-4547
shchamber@meckcom.net
http://www.southhillchamber.com
Services Offered
Dark Fiber
TDM: DS1 to OC-192
IP: 10meg to 1GigE
Co-location Shelter
For More Information
Tad Deriso
General Manager
(804) 786-7692
City of Martinsville
Chamber of Commerce Information
Kim Adkins
Martinsville-Henry County Chamber
Executive Vice President
P.O. Box 709
Martinsville VA 24114-0709
Fax (276) 632-5059
(276) 632-6401
kima@mhcchamber.com
http://www.mhcchamber.com
Services Offered
Dark Fiber
TDM: DS1 to OC-192
IP: 10meg to 1GigE
Co-location Shelter
For More Information
Tad Deriso
General Manager
(804) 786-7692
Lunenburg County
Chamber of Commerce Information
Becky Bagley
Lunenburg County Chamber
Secretary/Committee Chair
General Delivery
Lunenburg VA 23952-9999
Fax (434) 696-9750
becky.bagley@bcbonline.com
Services Offered
Dark Fiber
TDM: DS1 to OC-192
IP: 10meg to 1GigE
Co-location Shelter
For More Information
Tad Deriso
General Manager
(804) 786-7692
Henry County
Chamber of Commerce Information
Kim Adkins
Martinsville-Henry County Chamber
Executive Vice President
P.O. Box 709
Martinsville VA 24114-0709
Fax (276) 632-5059
(276) 632-6401
kima@mhcchamber.com
http://www.mhcchamber.com
Services Offered
Dark Fiber
TDM: DS1 to OC-192
IP: 10meg to 1GigE
Co-location Shelter
For More Information
Tad Deriso
General Manager
(804) 786-7692
Halifax County
Chamber of Commerce Information
Nancy L. Pool
Halifax County Chamber of Commerce
President
P.O. Box 399
South Boston VA 24592-0399
Fax (434) 572-1733
(434) 572-3085
npool@halifaxchamber.net
http://www.halifaxchamber.net
Services Offered
Dark Fiber
TDM: DS1 to OC-192
IP: 10meg to 1GigE
Co-location Shelter
For More Information
Tad Deriso
General Manager
(804) 786-7692
Greensville County
Chamber of Commerce Information
Amanda Dianis
Emporia/Greensville Chamber of Commerce
Executive Director
400 Halifax Street
Emporia VA 23847-1712
Fax (434) 634-3485
(434) 634-9441
ontrack@telpage.net
http://www.emporia-greensvillechamber.com
Services Offered
Dark Fiber
TDM: DS1 to OC-192
IP: 10meg to 1GigE
Co-location Shelter
For More Information
Tad Deriso
General Manager
(804) 786-7692
Franklin County
Chamber of Commerce Information
Carol Leggett
Franklin County Chamber of Commerce
Executive Director
P.O. Box 158
Rocky Mount VA 24151-0158
Fax (540) 483-0653
(540) 483-9542
cleggett@franklincounty.org
http://www.franklincounty.org
Services Offered
Dark Fiber
TDM: DS1 to OC-192
IP: 10meg to 1GigE
Co-location Shelter
For More Information
Tad Deriso
General Manager
(804) 786-7692
Dinwiddie County
Chamber of Commerce Information
n/a
Services Offered
Dark Fiber
TDM: DS1 to OC-192
IP: 10meg to 1GigE
Co-location Shelter
For More Information
Tad Deriso
General Manager
(804) 786-7692
City of Danville
Chamber of Commerce Information
Laurie Moran
Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce
President
P.O. Box 1538
635 Main Street
Danville VA 24543-1538
Fax (434) 793-5424
(434) 793-5422
lmoran@dpchamber.org
http://www.dpchamber.org
Services Offered
Dark Fiber
TDM: DS1 to OC-192
IP: 10meg to 1GigE
Co-location Shelter
For More Information
Tad Deriso
General Manager
(804) 786-7692
Pittsylvania County
Chamber of Commerce Information
Laurie Moran
Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce
President
P.O. Box 1538
635 Main Street
Danville VA 24543-1538
Fax (434) 793-5424
(434) 793-5422
lmoran@dpchamber.org
http://www.dpchamber.org
Services Offered
Dark Fiber
TDM: DS1 to OC-192
IP: 10meg to 1GigE
Co-location Shelter
For More Information
Tad Deriso
General Manager
(804) 786-7692
Cumberland County
Chamber of Commerce Information
n/a
Services Offered
Dark Fiber
TDM: DS1 to OC-192
IP: 10meg to 1GigE
Co-location Shelter
For More Information
Tad Deriso
General Manager
(804) 786-7692
Charlotte County
Chamber of Commerce Information
n/a
Services Offered
Dark Fiber
TDM: DS1 to OC-192
IP: 10meg to 1GigE
Co-location Shelter
For More Information
Tad Deriso
General Manager
(804) 786-7692
Campbell County
Chamber of Commerce Information
Hank Frazier
Altavista Area Chamber of Commerce
Executive Director
P.O. Box 606
Altavista VA 24517-0606
Fax (434) 369-6665
altcoc@att.net
http://www.altavistachamber.org
Services Offered
Dark Fiber
TDM: DS1 to OC-192
IP: 10meg to 1GigE
Co-location Shelter
For More Information
Tad Deriso
General Manager
(804) 786-7692
Buckingham County
Chamber of Commerce Information
Tony Martin
Buckingham Chamber of Commerce
President
P.O. Box 951
Dillwyn VA 23936-0951
Fax (434) 983-2372
info@buckinghamchamber.org
http://www.buckinghamchamber.org
Services Offered
Dark Fiber
TDM: DS1 to OC-192
IP: 10meg to 1GigE
Co-location Shelter
For More Information
Tad Deriso
General Manager
(804) 786-7692
Brunswick County
Chamber of Commerce Information
Elaine H. Clary
Brunswick Chamber of Commerce
Executive Director
400 North Main Street
Lawrenceville VA 23868-1818
Fax (434) 848-9356
(434) 848-3154
brunschamber@meckcom.net
http://www.buckinghamchamber.org
Services Offered
Dark Fiber
TDM: DS1 to OC-192
IP: 10meg to 1GigE
Co-location Shelter
For More Information
Tad Deriso
General Manager
(804) 786-7692
Bedford County
Chamber of Commerce Information
Bedford Area Chamber of Commerce
305 East Main Street
Bedford VA 24523-2014
Fax (540) 587-6650
(540) 586-9401
http://www.bedfordareachamber.com
Services Offered
Dark Fiber
TDM: DS1 to OC-192
IP: 10meg to 1GigE
Co-location Shelter
For More Information
Tad Deriso
General Manager
(804) 786-7692
Appomattox County
Chamber of Commerce Information
Valerie Garrett
Appomattox County Chamber of Commerce
Executive Director
P.O. Box 704
Appomattox VA 24522
Fax (434) 352-2621
(434) 352-2621
Services Offered
Dark Fiber
TDM: DS1 to OC-192
IP: 10meg to 1GigE
Co-location Shelter
For More Information
Tad Deriso
General Manager
(804) 786-7692
Amelia County
Chamber of Commerce Information
n/a
Services Offered
Dark Fiber
TDM: DS1 to OC-192
IP: 10meg to 1GigE
Co-location Shelter
For More Information
Tad Deriso
General Manager
(804) 786-7692
Coverage Maps
Click here to request a list of POP locations.
Click on a portion of the map for more information.
Southwest Virginia Coverage
Southside Virginia Coverage
Click on a county name on the map or on the list to the left for fiber optic network extents and POP details:
Long-Haul Map
Publications
MBC Cooperative Connection
Calendar of Events
Visit with MBC at the following industry events:
- Last Mile Project Update at the Altavista Town Council Meeting, July 8, 2008.
- Light Reading’s Optical Expo, October 6-7, 2008 in Dallas.
Fiber Builds
MBC members sometimes need additional fiber laterals to be constructed from existing MBC access points or Node buildings. The MBC Network Operations Manager will work closely with the member to determine requirements, route selection, construction cost estimates, and MBC capital funding to build laterals for the member. MBC can leverage its existing right-of-way agreements with VDOT (Virginia Department of Transportation) and joint-use agreements (AEP, Dominion Power, Verizon, Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative, Southside Electric Cooperative, City of Danville Utilities, City of Martinsville Utilities) to build new, cost-effective open-access fiber laterals into Carrier POP’s, Communications Towers, Water Towers, End-User Buildings/Facilities, Data Centers, Backbone Extensions, and a number of other connections.
MBC contracts with qualified, local contractors who have the skill sets and knowledge of the region and permitting agencies to build new laterals. MBC Coordinates the construction, splicing, termination, testing and inspection for all fiber projects to ensure fiber builds meet stringent quality control requirements. For larger projects, (5 miles or more of fiber construction), MBC may solicit construction bids from qualified contractors.
For our members, we review plans/needs for fiber builds/extensions, and develop a proposal to build fiber laterals/backbone extensions for any member who requests that service.
For more information, contact Tad Deriso, MBC General Manager, at tad@mbc-va.com or call Tad at 804.855.4057.
Tower Leasing
MBC members sometimes have a need to place wireless broadband devices near MBC facilities, or to provide expanded coverage of underserved or unserved areas with wireless broadband equipment. Where available, MBC will provide access to towers which are controlled, owned or managed by MBC. Over the next 36 months, MBC plans to construct communications towers in the Southside Virginia region in partnership with members and communities to extend the reach of wireless broadband providers, and improve broadband coverage in the region.
MBC will offer monthly rental of tower space for tower locations. We will also work with existing tower owners to secure space for wireless broadband coverage as well as new cellular sites. Services Include:
- Construction of tower (monopole, guyed tower, self-supporting)
- Fiber access to tower
Members will be responsible for placing their own equipment shelters or power pedestal at the towers. MBC can provide direct fiber connection to the nearest MBC Node for equipment colocation and access on an as-needed basis. Currently, MBC has access to the following Tower Locations (as of Dec 1, 2006):
- Chatham, Virginia (100’ self supporting tower)
- Appomattox, Virginia
MBC will update tower availability as additional communities/sites are developed for this service.
For more information about MBC’s Tower Leasing services, contact Tad Deriso, MBC General Manager, at tad@mbc-va.com or call Tad at 804.855.4057.
Colocation
MBC provides carrier-class Colocation services at its 20 Node Sites in Southside Virginia. These services are available for MBC members who require secure rack space in an MBC node facility for equipment storage, or to locate servers for back-up data storage and retrieval. MBC provides telco-grade 23” open racks for members in the designated colocation area. Each MBC Node has the following features:
- 24×7 unescorted access with separate entrance door and key-card access for members.
- 24×7 monitoring of facility, including temperature, power, access, and humidity.
- 30KW diesel generator backup, all monitored 24×7.
- Carrier-grade grounding of all racks and electrical systems with master ground bars.
- AC and DC power systems with Dual A&B Feeds.
- Unlimited cross-connect inside the Node facility at no cost to members.
- Only fiber is allowed to route into MBC Node facilities. Coax, Copper (Cat5/6) and other media are supported for cross-connects inside the Node facility.
For a standard colocation, an MBC member is provided with 20amps DC and 10amps AC, a 23” rack, and secure key-card access. Additional power is available, and multiple racks can be installed if space is available. MBC has the ability to upgrade or expand the Node facilities as member needs dictate.
For more information about MBC’s Colocation services, contact Tad Deriso, MBC General Manager, at tad@mbc-va.com or call Tad at 804.855.4057.
Dark Fiber
For MBC members who need dark fiber connections for point-to-point connections, or to create extended regional network footprints, MBC offers several options for dark fiber connectivity. This dark fiber is separate from MBC’s 700-mile fiber network.
All fiber is SMF28E, loose-tube fiber built by Draka/Comteq (http://www.drakacomteq.us) with 12 strands per buffer tube. In addition:
- The fiber backbone is combination of direct buried and aerial construction with armored sheathing.
- The fiber optic strands are provided to a Member on a monthly lease, annual lease, or IRU basis (10 to 20 years). Discounts are available for full ring purchases.
- There is a 2 strand minimum, 6 strand maximum for any one member on any one link.
- MBC provides continuous 24×7 network monitoring, preventive maintenance and emergency fiber restoration services, in the event the fiber backbone is cut, damaged or needs to be re-located.
- MBC assigns strands on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Lateral Splices, mid-span splices for access, and other needs are available based on Member needs and network access point designs.
For more information about MBC’s Dark Fiber services, contact Tad Deriso, MBC General Manager, at tad@mbc-va.com or call Tad at 804.855.4057.
Layer 1 & 2 Optical Transport
Sonet/TDM Services
MBC offers Optical Transport services on our regional and long-haul network. Using our OC-48 and OC-192 SONET ring infrastructure, we offer reliable, carrier-class transport services. For MBC’s regional network in Southside Virginia, Nortel’s Optical Multiservice Edge (OME) 6500 platform has been deployed. This provides a robust, reliable and scalable infrastructure for SONET backbone infrastructure. MBC supports all OC-x services as well as DS1/DS3 services through the Nortel system.
- DS1 - Digital Service, 1.5 Mbps
- DS3 - Digital Service, 45 Mbps
- OC-3 - Optical Carrier, 155 Mbps
- OC-12 - Optical Carrier, 622 Mbps
- OC-48 - Optical Carrier, 2.5 Gbps
- OC-192 - Optical Carrier, 10 Gbps
METRO Ethernet/IP Services
For Metro Ethernet Services, MBC has deployed Nortel’s RPR (Resilient Packet Ring) family of cards in the OME 6500 platform. RPR provides a resilient carrier-grade packet ring infrastructure that combines the best capabilities of SONET/SDH and Ethernet, providing SONET/SDH’s efficient support for ring topology and fast recovery from link failures,. It also has Ethernet’s data transport efficiency, simplicity, familiarity, and cost advantages.
- 5 Mbps to 1,000 Mbps (1 Gbps)
- Network supports VLAN
Long-Haul Optical Transport
For Long-Haul Transport Services, MBC has purchased IRU fiber from Atlanta to McLean, Virginia and IRU redundant fiber from McLean, Virginia to Equinix-Ashburn. MBC had deployed Infinera’s Digital Transport Node (DTN) system, providing 200Gig of capacity between Atlanta (56 Marietta Street), Charlotte (4021 Rose Lake Drive), Raleigh (5301 Departure Drive), Richmond (8751 Park Central Drive), McLean (1755 Old Meadow Road), and the Equinix Facility in Ashburn Virginia (DC3 building). The Infinera platform deployed by MBC provides highly flexible connections between our POP’s, and includes the following:
- 1GigE
- 2.5G (Wavelengths from 1310-1560, Ethernet or OC-48)
- 10G (Wavelengths from 1310-1560, Ethernet or OC-192). These multiple 10G wavelengths can be provided for data centers, content delivery network providers and other uses that require dedicated Layer 1 Optical Transport services.
For more information about MBC’s Optical Transport services, contact Tad Deriso, MBC General Manager, at tad@mbc-va.com or call Tad at 804.855.4057.
Management Team
Tad Deriso – General Manager
Tad manages the cooperative, and is responsible for coordinating operations, member needs, community relations, governmental affairs, sales and marketing and implementing strategic direction as approved by the MBC Board of Directors. He has been involved in the rural telecommunications industry for over 16 years, working with rural telecommunications providers and cooperatives, and brings a deep understanding of the issues and resource needs surrounding broadband, wholesale optical transport services and rural economic development issues.
Tad holds a BBA in Management degree from Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia.
Hunter Ford – Network Operations Manager
Hunter manages the coordination of planning, engineering, permitting, design, construction and inspection of new fiber builds for connectivity to MBC members, and has overall responsibility for the management and maintenance coordination of the 700+ mile MBC fiber optic outside plant network. Hunter manages the MBC Network Operations Center facility in South Boston, Virginia. Prior to joining MBC, Hunter worked for Embarq (formerly known as Sprint and Central Telephone of Virginia) in South Boston, VA in various positions of network engineering, outside plant planning and supervision.
Contact Us
24/7 Network Support:
(888) 796-0579
Miss Utility:
(800) 552-7001 or dial 811
Request list of POP locations
Click here to request a list of POP locations
MBC Staff
Richmond Office
c/o Virginia Tobacco Commission
701 E. Franklin Street, Suite 501
Richmond, VA 23219
Location map
Tad Deriso – General Manager
(804) 786-7692 office
(804) 855-4057 mobile
(804) 786-3210 fax
tad@mbc-va.com
South Boston Office
c/o Riverstone Technology Building One
1100 Confroy Drive
South Boston, VA 24592
(434) 570-1300 office
(434) 572-2357 fax
Location map
Driving directions
Hunter Ford – Network Operations Manager
(434) 570-1303 office
(434) 572-7288 mobile
(434) 572-2357 fax
hunter@mbc-va.com
Teaka Cole – Member Services Coordinator
(434) 570-1304 office
(434) 222-8545 mobile
(434) 572-2357 fax
Dana Jones – Accounting Manager
(434) 570-1301 office
(434) 222-8231 mobile
(434) 572-2357 fax
dana@mbc-va.com
Glenn Ratliff – Technical Advisor
(434) 570-1103 office
(434) 579-1537 mobile
gcr@gcrcompany.com
Ann Weinberg – Consultant
1105 Chappell Ridge Court
Glen Allen, VA 23059
(804) 562-5114 office
(703) 728-4827 mobile
ann@mbc-va.com
What’s New
Industry Links
Funding Groups
- US Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration
- Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission
- Virginia Community Capital, Inc.
Industry Links
- Carolina-Virginia Telephone Membership Association
- Cellular Telephone Industry Association
- Comptel
- National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative
- National Telecommunications Cooperative Association
- Region 2000 Technology Council
- Southern Piedmont Technology Council
- TelCap
- Virginia Cable Telecom Association
- Virginia Piedmont Technology Council
- Virginia Telecom Industry Association
- Wireless Estimator
- XChange Magazine
Economic Development Groups
- City of Danville Economic Development
- City of Martinsville Henry County Economic Development Corporation
- Crater Planning District Commission
- International Economic Development Council
- Lake Country Marketing Council
- Southern Economic Development Council
- Virginia Economic Development Partnership
- Virginia Gateway Region
- Virginia Heartland Partnership
- Virginia Region 2000 Economic Development
Partners
Become a Member
By investing in a one-time membership fee with MBC, members join a not-for-profit, member-owned cooperative that is dedicated to providing its members with wholesale broadband telecommunications products, services and programs at the lowest possible cost.
Class A Membership
- Founding Members of MBC (Old Dominion Electric Cooperative, Longwood University, Town of South Hill, Future of the Piedmont Foundation, Blue Ridge Power Agency)
Class B Membership
- $500.00
- Telecommunications Service Providers (ILEC, CLEC, MLEC, Telephone Cooperatives, ISP, IXC, Cable Operators, Wireless, Cellular, including private and municipal providers)
- Class B Membership Application
Class C Membership
- $1,500.00
- Governmental / Public Sector Providers (users of 12 strand public use fiber and or managed services for economic development activities. Use would include marketing assistance from MBC on benefits of the network, assistance in marketing industrial parks, attending site visits, and assistance with preparing marketing literature and web development. Members could include State, County, City, Town, Federal, & Local Agencies, VDOT, Higher Education Institutions (public and private), Commonwealth Agencies, etc.)
- Class C Membership Application
Class D Membership
- $3,000.00
- Commercial and Industrial Users (case by case basis for users who need to use the MBC network for economic development/job creation activities. Services could include collocation, server farm hosting, data center and storage, network monitoring, or dark fiber)
- Class D Membership Application
Membership Directory
Updated: 04/10/2008
Class A
- Blue Ridge Power Agency
- Future of the Piedmont Foundation
- Longwood University
- Old Dominion Electric Cooperative
- Town of South Hill
Class B
- Blue Ridge Internetworks, LLC
- Buggs Island Telephone Cooperative
- Citizens’ Telephone Co-Operative, Inc.
- City of Martinsville (Mi-Net)
- Danville Utilities
- Conterra Ultra Broadband, LLC
- DataCare Computer Sales & Service
- DigitalBridge Communications LLC
- DukeNet Communications LLC
- Embarq
- Fairpoint Communications
- GCR Telecom
- Gamewood, Inc.
- Guaranteed Network Services, Inc.
- Hibernia Atlantic LLC
- JetBroadband Virginia
- KDL of Virginia Inc.
- Kimbanet
- Kinex Telecom, Inc.
- Level 3 Communications, Inc. (formerly Telcove)
- LMK Communications, LLC
- Lower Shore Broadband Cooperative
- Lynchburg Computer Systems, Inc.
- Maryland Broadband Cooperative
- Mid-Atlantic Wireless LLC
- Neonova Network Services
- Neon Optica, Inc.
- nTelos Network Inc.
- PalmettoNet, Inc.
- Pure Internet, Inc.
- RAF Wireless LLC
- Shenandoah Telecommunications
- Sunset Digital Communications, Inc.
- Telpage, Inc.
- Tiamet Communications LLC
- Verizon Virginia, Inc.
- WBS Connect LLC
- WV Fiber, Inc.
Class C
Technical Details
Regional Network
For MBC’s regional network in Southside Virginia, Nortel’s Optical Multiservice Edge (OME) 6500 Platform has been deployed, offering a robust, reliable and scalable infrastructure. MBC supports all OC-x services as well as DS1/DS3 services through the Nortel system. The network is owned and managed by MBC.
- 144 Fiber Strand Backbone
- OC-192 SONET/TDM Backbone
- TDM, Metro Ethernet, Wavelengths
- Carrier-Class Colocation Nodes
Long Haul Network
For Long-Haul Transport Services, MBC has purchased IRU fiber from Atlanta to McLean, Virginia and has purchased redundant fiber from McLean, Virginia to Equinix-Ashburn. MBC has deployed Infinera’s Digital Transport Node (DTN) system, providing 200Gig of capacity between Atlanta, Charlotte, Raleigh, Richmond, McLean and the Equinix facility in Ashburn, Virginia.
- 200Gbps Network
- 1Gig, 2.5Gig, 10Gig, 40Gig Services
- Infinera DTN System
For more information, contact Tad Deriso, MBC General Manager, at tad@mbc-va.com or call Tad at 804.855.4057.
Board of Directors
The MBC Board of Directors is an independent board made up of individuals dedicated to MBC’s mission of regional economic development through technology infrastructure. The Board of Directors holds monthly meetings, and provides governance and policy decisions related to MBC operations.
The following is a list of MBC board members:
Duane Dahlquist, PE, Chairman of MBC. Duane is the General Manager for the Blue Ridge Power Agency located in Danville, Virginia. He works with municipal electric companies in various regulatory, engineering and technical issues for municipal electric services.
David Hudgins, Vice-Chairman of MBC. David is the Manager of Economic Development for Old Dominion Electric Cooperative located in Glen Allen, Virginia. He works with his 12 electric cooperative members in Virginia, Maryland and Delaware on a variety of legislative, economic development and planning issues.
Joe Cobbe, Secretary/Treasurer of MBC. Joe is a CPA in Martinsville, and was formerly the Mayor for the City of Martinsville.
Dr. Frank Moore is Vice President of Information Technology and CIO for Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia. Dr. Moore has a vast knowledge base of technical issues related to broadband and connectivity in the region.
Ben Davenport, Jr. is the Chairman of the First Piedmont Corporation in Danville, Virginia. As a board member of MBC, Ben brings the vision and support of local business leaders who are focused on revitalizing the economy of Southside Virginia. Ben also sits on the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors, and is currently serving as Chairman of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce.
Lee Cobb is the Executive Director of Virginia’s Region 2000, an economic development organization located in Lynchburg, Virginia. As a board member of MBC, Lee brings a great deal of economic development experience and multiple contacts with business and government leaders throughout Virginia.
Glen “Skip” Skinner is the County Administrator for Wise County in Southwest Virginia. As a board member of MBC, Glen represents the interests of Southwest Virginia and through his involvement with similar fiber optic network projects in Southwest, provides useful information on operational and construction requirements of rural fiber optic networks.
Mr. Frank Ferguson, Deputy Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As a board member of MBC, Frank is available to provide information relative to the relationship between MBC and the Tobacco Commission. His extensive legal and political background will be instrumental in the success of MBC.
About MBC
The Mid-Atlantic Broadband Cooperative (MBC) is a not-for-profit cooperative created in 2003 by a visionary group of regional leaders whose purpose was to revitalize the regional economy of Southside Virginia. This goal was achieved by establishing a sustainable business plan to build a cost-effective, carrier-class telecom infrastructure that would expand broadband services in the region, provide unique opportunities for research/development and create opportunities for the private sector to deploy competitive broadband services.
In 2004, MBC created a plan to build over 700 miles of new fiber optic infrastructure, deploy the latest optical network equipment, and own the facilities and infrastructure that would be used for this project. The project started with $6 million in grant funding from the US Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA) along with a matching $6 million from the Virginia Tobacco Commission (VTC) to build the first 300 miles of network infrastructure in the region. The VTC provided an additional $28 million in grant funding which helped MBC extend the network to all 20 counties and over 60 business, technology and industrial parks. The additional funds also allowed MBC to deploy an advanced, carrier-class SONET/SDH Network using Nortel’s Optical Multi-service Edge 6500 platform with OC-192 and OC-48 rings, purchase fiber from Atlanta to Washington DC, deploy Infinera Digital Transport Network DWDM system on our long-haul route, and provide the needed capital and operational funding to meet the business plan needs.
Today, the 700-mile fiber network is operational. MBC is an established wholesaler of broadband services, providing the infrastructure necessary to attract businesses to rural Virginia. In February 2008, MBC dramatically expanded the backbone capacity of the Southside Virginia Regional Backbone Network. This ensured that MBC will be able to meet the high-bandwidth wholesale optical transport demands of major telecom carriers and service providers needing access to new data centers in Southside Virginia. MBC and the VTC are funding last mile pilot projects in five different Virginia towns. Businesses and residents throughout Virginia are benefiting from MBC’s success.
MBC is governed by an independent board of directors, and maintains a corporate office located at the Virginia Tobacco Commission offices at 7th & Franklin Streets, and has a Network Operations Center at Riverstone Technology Park in South Boston, Virginia. The General Manager, Network Operations Manager, and Administrative Assistant run the daily operations of MBC.
For more information, contact Tad Deriso, MBC’s General Manager, at tad@mbc-va.com or 804.786.7692