Governor Phil Scott and the Public Service Department last week announced the winners of the first round of grant funding through the state’s new Broadband Innovation Grant Program. The grants will support three feasibility studies and subsequent business plans for the deployment of broadband in rural, unserved and underserved areas of Vermont.
Following the establishment of the program in Act 79 of 2019, the Department received significant public interest for the first round of grant funding.
Applications were reviewed, and the Department has selected three grant recipients:
- CVFiber will receive $60,000 to complete a feasibility study and business plan for providing high-speed broadband to each of its 17 member municipalities, including 755 locations in its territory that lack access to broadband with speeds of 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload.
- Newbury REDInet District will receive $34,000 for a feasibility study and business plan to formalize a public-private partnership with Consolidated Communications to achieve a “town-wide-fiber-to-the-premises” network. REDInet has also secured over $25,000 in ThinkVermont Innovation and USDA Rural Business Development grants.
- Windham Regional Commission (WRC) will receive $60,000 to perform a feasibility study and business plan for providing “fiber-to-the-premises” in all 27 of its member towns through the creation of a new Communication Union District, including 2,323 premises currently without access to broadband.
November 26, 2019
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