MIDDLEBURY — Maple Broadband, the community-governed internet service provider based in Middlebury, last week got the final OK on a federal grant that will fully fund its buildout of high-speed internet throughout 20 Addison County towns.

The announcement came following the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s approval of Vermont’s Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) plan on Feb. 9, which will bring $100 million to hook up high-speed internet all over the Green Mountain State. Gov. Scott and Vermont’s Congressional delegation hailed the arrival of the funds, which they said will reach 99% of Vermonters.

Maple Broadband’s share of this federal allocation is $9.27 million, according to Executive Director Ellie de Villiers.

“The really important thing is that we believe it’s sufficient to finish this generational infrastructure investment,” she told the Independent. “We are one day closer to universal broadband.”

When Maple Broadband received its first construction grant from the Vermont Community Broadband Board in 2022, there were close to 6,000 on-grid addresses within the district that did not have access to internet speeds of 25/3 Mbps or greater. In 2024, the federal definition of broadband increased to 100/20 Mbps or greater, a standard that only fiber-optic and coaxial cable connections can reliably meet. The BEAD grant provides funding to reach this higher standard, and includes the costs of installing underground conduits for buried installations.

“We have come a long way since Maple Broadband was formed in late 2020,” said Maple Broadband Chair Steve Huffaker. “We have almost 250 miles of active service in Addison County and hundreds of customers. And there are fewer people ‘freezing’ in our video meetings! But there remain portions of our district that we haven’t had the funds to build yet, so we’re excited to have secured the funding to finish the job.”

Maple Broadband submitted its BEAD application in partnership with Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom (WCVT). The grant will fund construction to remaining unserved addresses across the district, including areas where WCVT provides service. Towns receiving the most new construction under this grant include Starksboro and Lincoln, served by WCVT, and Middlebury, Ripton, New Haven, and Ferrisburgh, served by Maple Broadband.

This investment will help WCVT reach the remaining addresses in its service area with fiber-optic internet.

“Expanding our fiber network so that every customer has access to fast, reliable broadband remains a top priority. Our partnership with Maple Broadband has driven major progress, and this new grant funding will help us finish the remaining buildout and move closer to delivering 100% fiber‑optic service across our territory,” said Roger Nishi, general manager at WCVT.

One of the conditions of Maple Broadband’s existing construction grant funding is to ensure that all on-grid addresses within the district have access to broadband service. “This BEAD award positions Maple Broadband for future success by enabling us to fulfill our universal service obligations without taking on interest-bearing debt,” said de Villiers. “Since we were announced as provisional BEAD awardees in August 2025, we have been working on engineering design and planning while Vermont awaited federal approval. We are excited to begin construction as soon as possible.”

BEAD-funded construction is expected to commence later this year, after Maple Broadband receives its grant agreement and has received the necessary authorizations to begin construction.

NEW PROGRAMS

This funding news comes only two weeks after Maple Broadband launched its Affordable Drop Program (ADP) and Local Equitable Access Fund (LEAF). Those are two new programs that lower the cost of getting connected to high-speed fiber internet for residents across its service area. Together, these programs support households that face financial barriers to getting, or staying, connected to reliable broadband.

As a community-owned and locally governed provider, Maple Broadband is governed by residents of its 20 member towns, who make decisions in the public interest rather than to maximize profit. Officials said this local governance structure enables Maple Broadband to design affordability programs that respond directly to needs and priorities of Addison County residents.

LEAF funds a $30 monthly service discount and waives the $149.95 installation fee for qualifying households. It is financed directly by Maple Broadband.

de Villiers said Maple Broadband already has five LEAF recipients and more in the pipeline.

The Affordable Drop Program covers the costs of installing underground conduits for buried installations, and other costs not covered by Maple Broadband’s standard installation fee. This program is funded by a grant received from the Vermont Community Broadband Board. Under the terms of this grant, all work must be complete by fall of 2026.

Residents, community partners, and local officials interested in learning more about these affordability programs, service availability, or Maple Broadband’s buildout plans can visit maplebroadband.net or contact Maple Broadband directly.