Feasibility study completed for high-speed broadband in Lamoille
Lamoille County, VT, November 30, 2020 – A feasibility study on building a network to deliver high-speed broadband to underserved areas in the Lamoille region has now been completed.
The study was commissioned by the Lamoille County Planning Commission (LCPC) and funded through a Broadband Innovation Grant from the Vermont Department of Public Service in May 2020, to determine the feasibility of broadband deployment in underserved areas in Lamoille and to then develop a business plan for the construction of the fiber broadband infrastructure. The LCPC hired Tilson, a broadband technology consultant from Portland, Maine, to perform the study.
Tilson conducted market research to determine the number of households and businesses that would subscribe to a broadband network if it were constructed. The market research study results were used as a basis for the project’s financial modeling as well as two potential network designs and probable capital costs. “These designs were developed with the consideration that the project would be cash-flow positive within three years,” noted LCPC’s Lea Kilvadyova, “and though we will need to find investors and grant funds, we were pleased that the study determined that it would be feasible to bring high-speed broadband to our region.”
Lamoille FiberNet will use the study recommendations to develop a business plan that will advance its mission of making locally controlled, affordable, and reliable high-speed internet service available to every address in its member towns.
The towns included in the study are Belvidere, Eden, Waterville, Cambridge, Johnson, Hyde Park, Morristown, and Stowe. These towns, with the exception of Stowe, which has not yet decided on membership, are members of the Lamoille FiberNet Communications Union District.
Tilson presented the results of the study on November 4th in a public meeting hosted by the LCPC. A recording of the full presentation is available on the LCPC’s YouTube channel.
