• Permits secured: VFE Networks has cleared the key licenses and permit needed to move Phase 1 forward.
  • Local partners: Express-tek and S&N Infrastructure are helping support the build and deployment.
  • Phase 1 scope: A 126-mile diverse fiber route from Northern Virginia to Richmond-Sandston, designed for redundancy and AI-ready capacity.

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Virginia Fiber Express Networks LLC (VFE Networks), a wholly owned subsidiary of Infraforward Strategies LLC, has secured the licenses and permit needed to advance Phase 1 of its planned fiber network. In partnership with Express-tek and S&N Infrastructure, the company is moving forward with a project built to support rising demand for digital infrastructure across Virginia and beyond.

Phase 1 will deliver a 126-mile diverse fiber route from Northern Virginia to Richmond-Sandston, creating a redundant path outside the I-95 corridor. The network is being designed to support conduit, dark fiber IRUs, dark fiber, waves, and spectrum capacity, with an AI-ready focus built for edge inference.

“These licenses and permit unlock our ability to build and operate infrastructure designed for the demands of the data center industry pushing south out of an increasingly constrained Northern Virginia market,” said Joel M. Allen, CEO of VFE Networks. “Our diverse, non-I-95/ Route 1 route and interconnected network phases reflect a commitment to infrastructure that is resilient, future-proof and purpose-built to support autonomous network deployment while being aligned with Virginia’s long-term support of broadband expansion.”

Express-tek brings deep engineering and permitting experience to the project, while S&N Infrastructure adds decades of communications construction expertise across the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast.

“Our local knowledge of Virginia’s right-of-way landscape positions VFE Networks to move efficiently from licensure to construction,” said Stephen Brown, President of Express-tek. “Two generations of engineering and permitting expertise go into every route we design, and we are proud to help build infrastructure that will define the region’s digital future.”

“S&N has built and maintained communications networks across the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast for over 40 years, and we know how to execute in Virginia,” said Sean Davis, President and CEO of S&N Infrastructure. “This project is a meaningful step forward for the Commonwealth’s digital infrastructure, and we are committed to bringing the same reliability we are known for to Phase 1.”

With operator licenses and the initial permit now in place, VFE Networks is advancing construction and targeting a Ready for Service date in 2027.

To learn more about VFE Networks, visit vfenet.net.