Lamoille FiberNet Communications Union District (“Lamoille FiberNet” or “LFCUD”) seeks to enter into a contract with qualified entities (“Providers”) to 1) assist LFCUD in the provision of reliable, affordable broadband services to customers in our service area, and 2) assist LFCUD in providing high-quality, reliable network maintenance and operations services for our 500-mile fiber network.

Lamoille FiberNet is consortium of ten Lamoille County towns joined together as a municipal entity to build communications infrastructure together. See 30 V.S.A., Chapt. 82. Our service area includes all ten Lamoille County towns: Belvidere, Cambridge, Eden, Elmore, Hyde Park, Johnson, Morristown, Stowe, Waterville, and Wolcott.

Lamoille FiberNet’s goals for this project are:

• to bring reliable, high-quality, high-speed internet services that are locally controlled and cost-effective to every grid-tied unserved and underserved address in our member communities, as soon as possible;
• offer affordable — not just competitive — internet services with pricing of multiple speed tiers, including symmetrical 100/100 mbps;
• leverage existing assets and other public assets and resources to ensure services are sustainable and accessible, and
• provide a scalable, redundant, and resilient network to meet the evolving needs of our communities, including supporting low-income and disadvantaged constituencies.
• Please visit our website Lamoille FiberNet to learn more about our mission, operating principles, and work.

In fulfillment of this RFP, our contractor must commit to:

• supporting our public mission, at a minimum by participating in ACP or other comparable affordable broadband program(s);
• joint marketing and customer development;
• transparent pricing, no data caps, and customer friendly billing and dispute resolution practices;
• providing broadband services that comply with the consumer protection and net neutrality standards established by Vermont;
• ensure all network and end-user services are supported by a reliable, adequately staffed, highly skilled workforce;
• adhering to applicable Treasury Guidance on the eligible uses and other guidance related to the American Rescue Plan State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds;
• acceptance of the General Terms and Conditions Required by State Law and Federal Funding – See Appendix A (Attachment C Standard Provisions for State Contracts and Grants, Attachment D State of Vermont Federal Terms Supplement – Construction) and State Fiscal Recovery Fund Program Assurances);
• a structure that complies with IRS and other relevant guidelines relating to private management contracts, to enable access to tax-exempt bond financing; and
• ensuring that all subcontractors comply with the same requirements. 4 5564126.1 LFCUD RFP 20221101

RFP Overview

We are interested in providers that have a demonstrated track record of maintaining and operating reliable fiber optic networks, developing and provisioning high-quality broadband services, and delivering reliable and responsive customer service. Potential providers must also demonstrate an ability to timely scale and support the project.