'Own the future:' Southern Vermont Communications Union District celebrating universal high-speed internet
BENNINGTON — The Southern Vermont Communications Union District (SoVT CUD) is marking becoming “one of the first CUDs in the state to reach universal service coverage.”
The local 14-town communications district, which had formed a partnership with Fidium Fiber, announced last week that it will reach universal high-speed internet service coverage “just 13 months after receiving a grant from the Vermont Community Broadband Board in October 2022.”
14-town district
In a release, the district said that “multi-gigabit service is now available to every home and business in its 14-town service area. In total, more than 33,000 residents, including 2,400 previously unserved, now have access to multi-gig fiber service.”
“Today is an important day to celebrate a very important milestone for our 14 towns in Southern Vermont CUD,” said Eric Hatch, chairman of the SoVT CUD Governing Board, which has representatives from the member towns.
“Today’s milestone is an important one relative to the lasting social and economic impact it will have for our region,” Hatch said. “Likened to rural electrification, universal rural broadband will allow Bennington County and the CUD member towns to not only compete with cities in the U.S., but across the globe. Our area will have its natural beauty, a caring and talented community, and also the technology to provide the services and infrastructure for today and tomorrow’s digital age requirements.”
The CUD member communities are Arlington, Bennington, Dorset, Landgrove, Londonderry, Manchester, Peru, Pownal, Rupert, Sandgate, Shaftsbury, Sunderland, Winhall and Woodford.
Business incentive
“Last year in our State of the Commerce survey … we asked our members what’s holding you back?” said Matt Harrington, executive director of the Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce. “Forty-one percent [said] ‘we need better internet, improved internet and Wi-Fi to help us grow.’”
He added, “We recently conducted that survey again, one year later. Only 18 percent this year indicated WI-FI capability as a barrier to growth for them. That is because of the CUD and Fidium Fiber.”
The change is “not merely about faster internet, it’s about possibilities,” Harrington said. “It’s about making sure our healthcare, education and employment opportunities are accessible to all. It’s about enriching lives and fostering creativity, entrepreneurialism and innovation right here in our very own communities.”
“It really is pretty astonishing, and I’m just very excited to be here because we’ve been working on broadband forever,” U.S. Senator Peter Welch, D-Vt., said during an event earlier this fall. “There’s a democratic value in making certain that the things all of us need in red states and blue states, in rural America and urban America, are available. That is the glue that is going to keep us together and help us resolve our problems.”
Rob Fish, deputy director of the Vermont Community Broadband Board, commented: “They said it couldn’t be done, and you have done this ... I want to be sure that you own this moment, that you own this celebration, and that you own the future, that you own what this can do for your community.”
Consolidated Communications
Jeffrey Austin, senior director of fiber build strategy for Consolidated Communications, said the new all-fiber network “will allow these 14 towns to grow and thrive in ways you may not have imagined. With this new network, generations of residents can enjoy the beauty and quality of life afforded by this area without having to miss out on the myriad opportunities that come with the best internet."
Fidium Fiber, a brand offered by Consolidated Communications for the home, delivers symmetrical, fiber internet. The company also offers Fidium@Work.
The SoVT CUD is a municipality-formed district under authorizing Vermont legislation. It is run by volunteers in the local communities, with the purpose of bringing high-speed internet service to under-served areas of Southern Vermont.
Anyone interested in helping, and those with questions about eligibility, are encouraged to visit the CUD website.
View the full story from the Bennington Banner: https://www.benningtonbanner.com/local-news/own-the-future-southern-vermont-communications-union-district-celebrating-universal-high-speed-internet/article_216bae8a-a0f9-11ee-bf03-4f102f1ec0c8.html