Broadband money to benefit multiple Vt. regions
West Woodstock, Vermont. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
When it comes to statewide challenges, broadband is a perennial issue in rural states and money is a consistent obstacle. However, Vermont officials this week announced $9.9 million in federal grants to aid broadband expansion in the state.
The Vermont Community Broadband Board will issue the grant money to four communications union districts (CUD’s). These volunteer-run municipal organizations are working to improve high-speed broadband access — a need that was hugely exposed in 2020 when many had no choice but to work or learn remotely.
The grant funding will mainly benefit communities in the Northeast Kingdom and central and southern Vermont. CUD’s receiving funds include the Deerfield Valley Communication Union District in southeastern Vermont ($4,111,318), Maple Broadband in Addison County ($2,399,200), Central Vermont Fiber in Washington County ($2,804,667) and Northwest Communication Union District in northwestern Vermont ($604,376). The grants are for preconstruction costs, including business planning, pole data surveys, and engineering work.
In the Monday announcement, Christine Hallquist, executive director of the state’s Community Broadband Board, praised the teamwork around this issue.
“Vermonters have been working decades to get broadband to every address in Vermont,” she said. “It is exciting to see that goal within reach. I am so grateful to the hundreds of volunteers, the Legislature, the Administration and the many branches of state government that are working together to make this happen.”
U.S. Rep. Peter Welch told the media at the Monday press conference that the toughest part was yet to come.
“We did our part to get funds, but you know the hardest part? It’s taking those funds and then in a responsible, careful, effective way to actually get them deployed and get those homes wired,” Welch said.
Gov. Phil Scott also spoke to the great need for this money, especially given the experiences of the past 18 months.
“We saw how challenging it was for some families and kids who didn’t have access to broadband when we closed schools and had to resort to remote learning,” Scott said. “We also saw the challenges for working Vermonters who didn’t have access to broadband when we asked them to stay home. Access to broadband is a necessity in the 21st century.”
Grants funding the construction work will be issued early next year. Three of the four groups awarded in this first round of grants plan to start construction in the spring of 2022.
According to a Pew Research study released in August, seven out of 10 rural Americans say they have a home broadband connection — up from six out of 10 in 2016. The study notes that despite the increase, “rural residents are still less likely than those living in suburban areas to report having home broadband.”
— Gareth Henderson
