What: Press Conference to announce $9.9 million in grants to Accelerate Broadband Expansion in Four Vermont Communication Union Districts
Who: Speakers include Governor Phil Scott, Congressman Peter Welch, Vermont Senate President Becca Balint, and representatives from each Communications Union Districts awarded a grant
Location: Pavilion Auditorium, 109 State Street, Montpelier, VT
When: Monday, November 1 at 11 AM
Contact: Vermont Community Broadband Board; Christine Hallquist, 802-636-7853 christine.hallquist@vermont.gov or Rob Fish, 802-522-2617, Robert.fish@vermont.gov, 802-522-2617
Summary: The Vermont Community Broadband Board (VCBB), in coordination with the Governor’s office, will be holding a press event to celebrate the awarding of Preconstruction Grants to four Communication Union Districts (CUDs). The Broadband Preconstruction Grant Program is to provide grants to Communications Union District (CUDs) for preconstruction costs related to broadband projects that are a part of a universal service plan. Eligible costs include expenses for feasibility studies, business planning, pole data surveys, engineering and design, and make-ready work associated with the construction of broadband networks, including consultant, legal, and administrative expenses. The Vermont Community Broadband Board will issue grants for construction costs (materials, equipment, labor) early next year. Three of the four groups awarded in this first round of grants expect to begin construction in the spring of 2022.
These first grants provide nearly $10 million to preconstruction activities that will accelerate the construction timeframe in several Communications Union Districts. Currently, 200 of Vermont’s 251 towns are members of a Communications Union District. These volunteer-run municipal organizations are committed to building fiber-optic broadband networks exceeding the state’s goal of 100 Mbps symmetrical internet speeds to all underserved addresses in their communities. Additional grants will be announced in the upcoming weeks.
Program:
- 11:00 Introduction – Christine Hallquist, Executive Director Vermont Community Broadband Board
- 11:05 Governor Phil Scott
- 11:10 Congressman Peter Welch
- 11:15 Leahy and Sanders office brief remarks
- 11:20 President Pro Tempore of the Vermont Senate Becca Balint
- 11:25 Speaker of the Vermont House Jill Krowinski
- 11:30 Maple Broadband Communication Union District - $2,339,200 grant recipient
- 11:34 Central Vermont Fiber Communication Union District - $2,804,667 grant recipient
- 11:38 Northwest Communication Union District - $605,376 - grant recipient
- 11:42 Deerfield Valley Communication Union District - $4,111,318 - grant recipient
- 11:46 Christine Hallquist to facilitate Q&A
There will be time at the end of the conference for individual interviews. Representatives from Northeast Kingdom Community Broadband, Lamoille FiberNet, and EC Fiber will also be in attendance and available to answer questions.