February 19, 2021 – Lamoille FiberNet has been using its voice in the legislature to advocate for expanded broadband coverage.
Lamoille FiberNet is the Communications Union District (CUD) working to bring high speed symmetrical broadband to Belvidere, Cambridge, Eden, Hyde Park, Johnson, Morristown, Stowe, and Waterville. The district represents a population of about 23,000.
For years, various Vermont governors and legislator have asked internet providers to expand coverage, but the pandemic has shown that the situation is now urgent. Without decent internet, Vermonters cannot access online education, remote work or telehealth services. Lack of broadband also limits our options for economic development and for attracting new residents.
Lamoille FiberNet has also supported legislative testimony by the Vermont Communications Union Districts Association, which has testified several times.
The House Energy & Technology Committee is working on drafts of an act relating to accelerated community broadband deployment, and three of the House Committee’s members represent towns that belong to Lamoille FiberNet: Rep. Lucy Rogers, Waterville/Cambridge; Rep. Avram Patt, Morristown/Woodbury/Elmore/Worcester; and Rep. Heidi Scheuermann, Stowe. Lamoille FiberNet is very glad to see that in this bill, the Committee is prioritizing support of CUDs, with their mission of bringing broadband to all addresses in a coordinated and strategic way.
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 – Belvidere, Cambridge, Eden, Hyde Park, Johnson, Morristown, Stowe, and Waterville. For more info, go to http://www.LamoilleFiber.net.