High-speed internet rollout picks up steam

Addison County’s nonprofit provider of high-speed fiber-optic internet service, Maple Broadband, has in 2024 already more than doubled its customer base, and more than doubled the miles along which its fiber-optic cables are hung on utility poles.

Maple Broadband, Addison County’s nonprofit internet provider, has connected its first nine customers to high-speed, fiber-optic service in parts of three towns — Cornwall, Salisbury and Middlebury.

In the name of progress we have repeated the errors of the past and again uglified our beautiful rural county with this regressive monstrosity of a cable network.

The nonprofit internet provider Maple Broadband began work in early October stringing fiber-optic lines that will bring high-speed service to up to 1,400 underserved or unserved households in portions of Cornwall, Leicester, Middlebury, Orwell, Salisbury, … (read more)

The Vermont Community Broadband Board on July 15 awarded Maple Broadband an $8.69 million grant that will allow the Addison County nonprofit internet service provider to start building out its network as soon as September and serve its first customers by … (read more)

Vermonters would be remiss if they did not mention sluggish internet among the state’s top economic woes.

The nonprofit internet provider Maple Broadband was awarded $2.3 million on Oct. 4 by the newly formed Vermont Community Broadband Board (VCBB) to fund its critical “preconstruction” phase.

FERRISBURGH — The Ferrisburgh selectboard last week decided to wait before making a contribution from its federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to county nonprofit internet provider Maple Broadband. But this week Board Chair Jessica James said s … (read more)

BRISTOL — Bristol officials have begun brainstorming ways to spend the $1,148,473 in federal COVID relief funding the town has been designated to receive through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).ARPA is a $1.9 trillion economic stimulus package passed … (read more)

ADDISON COUNTY — Nonprofit internet provider Maple Broadband has signed up 20 Addison County towns to accept its service, and has just reached a deal with Waitsfield Champlain Valley Telecom to maintain, repair and serve its planned network.When complete … (read more)

MONTPELIER — A $100 million broadband expansion bill was approved unanimously Tuesday by the Vermont Senate. The plan would funnel federal dollars both to the state’s communications union districts and small internet service providers to bring fiber to ar … (read more)

ADDISON COUNTY — When the Vergennes City Council voted to join Maple Broadband on April 13, it marked a milestone: Every community in Addison County now belongs to a Communications Union District, or CUD, and 20 of them have signed on with Maple Broadband … (read more)

ADDISON COUNTY — The work begun earlier this year to establish a public body to enhance high-speed internet in Addison County is going well, with 16 towns now signed on, $100,000 in federal money to support the effort, and many organizational details work … (read more)

A few years back, I remember attending an author event at Bixby Library in Vergennes. It was after hours and the library was closed except to guests. As I entered, I passed a cluster of young kids dressed against the cold huddling on the granite steps in … (read more)

BRANDON — Brandon has become the first town in Rutland County to form a communications district in an effort to improve its internet service. Thanks to an initiative from the Department of Public Service, the Rutland Regional Planning Commission has been … (read more)