Governor Orders 100 Towers for Vermont

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UPDATE As part of the $116 million construction grant program to bring access to underserved areas of Vermont, the state’s governor announced that $51 million would be allocated to build 100 new cell towers. WCAX-TV reported the Vermont Public Service Department is working to pinpoint which areas of the state would benefit most from the new infrastructure. 

According to one resident, despite living in the most populous county in the state (South Burlington), service has always been poor and has not improved in 18 years. Alison Fitzgerald, a physician, says sometimes she doesn’t get pages due to poor service, or her calls drop. “It leaves me very stuck either standing right next to a window talking to a patient or another doctor,” Fitzgerald said. 

Fitzgerald is not alone. WCAX reported that spotty service is a reality all over the state, and although adding 100 towers to the existing 412 towers is a good start, it likely won’t be enough to fix the service gap. 

According to Clay Purvis, the director of telecommunications and connectivity for the Vermont Department of Public Service, “We’re shooting for 100 towers, but we don’t think 100 towers will provide universal, ubiquitous service…Our geography, our mountainous terrain, and our settlement patterns have really contributed to the difficulty in deploying wireless service.”

Purvis says the Department of Public Service estimates:

  • 40 percent of Vermonters are not receiving adequate cell coverage to their home
  • 10 percent of Vermont roadways lack coverage from any carrier
  • 62 percent of Vermont roadways have poor reception

If Vermont’s legislature agrees to fund the new towers, the state will allow telecom companies to bid on leasing space with co-location of up to three carriers on each tower. Purvis says he expects to hear the legislature’s decision by the summer.

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