News

April 26, 2021 ‒ There are many different types of broadband, or high-speed internet. But how fast they are, and what types of usage they support, varies from type to type.

April 5, 2021 ‒ If you have recently been required to work from home, do homeschooling, participate in telemedicine or other online meeting platform, chances are you have run into trouble with internet speed.

Perhaps your internet service provider (ISP) offers some level of high-speed internet to your location but offerings can vary widely. The Lamoille FiberNet Communications Union District is working to make locally controlled and reliable high-speed Internet service available to every address in our eight member towns in the county and educate people on the options available. Expanding broadband to every address will take time to be sure, but the goal is to eventually deliver 100/100 Mbps level service.

March 29, 2021 ‒ Free community Wi-Fi installations are available “to connect students and families to the Internet, especially those living in rural and underserved communities,” but the window of opportunity is extremely short.

If you know of any locations that need public Wi-Fi Hot Spots, please ask them to submit their information immediately to: https://www.itdrc.org/covid-19/projectconnect. Installation requests are evaluated based on “need, sustainability, and community impact.” The program includes equipment and installation but does not cover the cost of Internet service.

March 22, 2021 – Lea Kilvádvová of Johnson passed away Sunday, March 7, 2021 from complications related to a long-term illness. Lea was instrumental in the founding of Lamoille FiberNet Communications Union District (CUD) and this tribute is a small reflection of our gratitude for her efforts and admiration for her abilities.

March 15, 2021 – Lamoille FiberNet is asking anyone who is testing a Starlink system to please take this brief survey: https://bit.ly/3aydnBZ. The survey is collecting information on Starlink testers’ experiences.

February 21, 2021 – If you take a look at this map https://publicservice.vermont.gov/content/vermont-communications-union-districts, you will see that much of Vermont is home to a new kind of CUD: There are currently nine Communications Union Districts in the state. About half of them formed within the past year due to the glaring inadequacies of broadband internet connections in rural areas, exposed by work-from-home, school-at-home and telehealth requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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.

January 29, 2021 – A utility pole assessment commissioned by Lamoille FiberNet CUD has been completed, moving the CUD one step closer to the buildout of their fiber optic broadband network.

January 18, 2021 – The Stowe Selectboard voted to join the Lamoille FiberNet Communications Union District, a municipal entity formed in July 2020 for the purpose of making locally controlled, affordable and reliable high-speed Internet service available to every address within its member towns.

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.