The Southern Vermont Communications Union District (So VT CUD) says the Vermont Community Broadband Board (VCBB) has approved the CUD’s $9 million internet fiber construction grant. The grant will be combined with $3.3 million from Consolidated Communications (NASDAQ: CNSL) to build a fiber to the home (FTTH) network that will pass 6,412 addresses across southern Vermont (see "Fidium Fiber announces FTTP deployments in Vermont").
Consolidated Communications will build, maintain, and operate the network, which So VT CUD expects will reach all unserved and underserved residents in 14 towns in the CUD in 2023. The So VT CUD currently represents the towns of Arlington, Bennington, Dorset, Landgrove, Londonderry, Manchester, Peru, Pownal, Rupert, Sandgate, Shaftsbury, Sunderland, Winhall and Woodford.
Meanwhile, Consolidated Communications has agreed to spend an additional $10.8 million to reach more than 13,000 additional addresses not covered by the grant with FTTH, bringing the total number of homes reached to 19,000. A portion of Consolidated’s investment comes from the FCC’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) program.
"The Vermont Community Broadband Board is pleased with the partnership that has been established with Fidium Fiber and So VT CUD to provide residents in the 14 towns in southwestern Vermont with affordable and reliable high-speed Internet,” said Christine Hallquist, executive director of the VCBB. “This is an example of public-private partnerships that will ensure every Vermonter finally has reliable and low-cost connections needed to participate in the digital economy as well as provide public oversight and accountability."
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