en.Wedoany.com Reported - Virginia Fiber Express Networks has obtained the licenses and permits required for the first phase of its fiber optic network project and is advancing construction with two partner companies to support the growing digital infrastructure needs in Virginia and the surrounding region.

Virginia Fiber Express Networks, LLC (VFE Networks), a wholly owned subsidiary of Infraforward Strategies, LLC, has obtained the licenses and permits to advance the first phase of its planned fiber optic network. In partnership with Express-tek and S&N Infrastructure, the company is moving forward with a project aimed at meeting the growing digital infrastructure demands of the region.

The first phase will build a 126-mile diverse fiber route from Northern Virginia to Richmond-Sandston, creating an alternative network path outside the I-95 corridor. The network is designed to support conduit, dark fiber IRU, dark fiber, wave, and spectrum capacity, with a focus on AI-ready edge inference.

Joel M. Allen, CEO of VFE Networks, stated that these permits enable the company to build and operate infrastructure that meets the needs of the data center industry, which is expanding southward from the increasingly constrained Northern Virginia market. Allen noted that the company selected a diverse, non-I-95/Route 1 routing, combined with interconnected network phases, reflecting a commitment to building resilient, future-proof infrastructure designed for autonomous network deployment, aligning with Virginia's long-standing support for broadband expansion.

Express-tek brings engineering and permitting experience to the project, while S&N Infrastructure contributes decades of telecommunications construction expertise in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions. Stephen Brown, President of Express-tek, said the company's local knowledge of Virginia's right-of-way landscape enables VFE Networks to efficiently transition from permitting to construction, with each route incorporating two generations of engineering and permitting experience. Sean Davis, President and CEO of S&N Infrastructure, stated that the company has built and maintained communication networks in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast for over 40 years, understands how to execute projects in Virginia, and is committed to bringing reliability to the first phase.

With carrier licenses and initial permits in place, VFE Networks is advancing construction, targeting service readiness by 2027.