Our history
The Virginia Broadband Industry Association can trace its roots as far back as April 6, 1900. On that date, a group of Virginia telephone company representatives met in Richmond to organize an association of mutual telephone companies. This was the first known attempt by telephone companies in Virginia to organize and work together. Their primary interest was in forming a long distance service to connect Virginia's localities with Washington, Baltimore and other East Coast cities.
Six years later, in 1906, representatives from 30 Virginia telephone companies gathered in Richmond and formed the Virginia Independent Telephone Association.
On Nov. 1, 1934, the Virginia Independent Telephone Association met at the John Marshall Hotel in Richmond and decided to incorporate.
In 1984, the association changed its name from the Virginia Independent Telephone Association to the Virginia Exchange Carrier Association, and in May 1985, the association became the Virginia Telephone Association. The association changed its name again in May 1995 to become the Virginia Telecommunications Industry Association
In 1976, the association established an office in Richmond with a part-time staff. Aldrich Dudley Jr. was appointed the first executive director and served the association until his retirement in December 1983. In January 1984, Ralph L. Frye became VTIA's second executive director and the association began operating full time. Mr. Frye retired as executive vice president of the association in June 1999 and was succeeded by Earl D. Bishop. Mr. Bishop retired in 2007 and was succeeded by Duront Walton, who served until 2020, when Richard Schollmann became the executive director.
In 2021, the Association adopted the DBA name "Virginia Broadband Industry Association," while retaining the legal name The Virginia Telecommunications Industry Association.
