Lamoille FiberNet helps local schools connect
January 11, 2021 — Lamoille FiberNet Communications Union District has partnered with Lamoille North Supervisory Union (LNSU) and Lamoille South Unified Union School District (LSUU) to provide internet connectivity to students in need. With funding from Lamoille FiberNet, LNSU purchased 50 Verizon Jetpack MiFi units with three months of service to provide internet to students needing such devices for remote learning. MiFi devices create WiFi hotspots using cellular networks. They can work anywhere with cell service, even if no other internet options are available.
For LSUU, Lamoille FiberNet assisted with the costs of cell phones and monthly service to extend internet access to students who did not have other options for remote learning.
“As a member of the Lamoille FiberNet board and the director of educational technology for LSUU, I have been thrilled to watch this partnership develop,” said John Meyer, Lamoille FiberNet board member. “Lamoille FiberNet’s goal is to build a fiber-optic network that will make locally-controlled, affordable, and reliable high-speed internet service available to every address in our member towns. As we continue taking steps towards this longer-term vision, it is gratifying to know that we can also contribute toward immediate solutions that help our community grapple with the challenges of inadequate connectivity during Covid-19.”
These partnerships were funded using CARES Act money accessed through a grant from the Vermont Public Service Department. Lamoille FiberNet was eligible for the funding due to its status as a municipal communications union district.
In addition to the partnerships with LNSU and LSUU, the grant that Lamoille FiberNet received also included funding to install longer-range WiFi units at Morristown Centennial Library and Stowe Free Library. In Morristown, the range will be extended to reach nearby homes, offices, and vehicles parked in the public lots. In Stowe, the new WiFi unit will allow for WiFi coverage in the parking lot, such that patrons can comfortably use the public WiFi during the colder weather.
The mission of Lamoille FiberNet Communications Union District (LFCUD) is to make locally controlled, affordable and reliable high-speed internet service available to every address in our member towns.
