Your Basic Questions Answered – Lamoille FiberNet
You may have heard of Lamoille FiberNet — Lamoille County’s Communications Union District. Fidium Fiber and other organizations — including other Communications Union Districts — are working together to bring high-speed internet to our region. Here’s an explanation to help clarify who’s doing what.
Who is Lamoille FiberNet?
Lamoille FiberNet is one of Vermont’s 13 CUDs (Communications Union Districts); it has received federal grant funding via the State — this funding is focused on getting service to homes and businesses with no or substandard internet.
Who is building the fiber network?
Lamoille FiberNet has a partnership with Fidium Fiber, which is owned by Consolidated Communications. This partnership is building the network that will carry fiber internet along roadways and to homes and businesses in the CUD’s region (see map at https://lamoillefiber.net/is-your-address-eligible-for-fiber/ ). To fund this network, Lamoille FiberNet is investing its grant funds and Consolidated is investing its own funds. Most of the construction will be completed in 2024, and the remaining work will take place in 2025.
Who will provide the internet service in this partnership?
Fidium/Consolidated is building the network, and Fidium/Consolidated will provide the internet service. Think of Lamoille FiberNet as a silent partner behind-the-scenes, helping to fund the construction, and providing some of the administration and oversight.
What about other CUDs?
Great question. Other CUDs in Vermont are working to bring high-speed internet to their regions. NEK Broadband, which serves most of Essex and Caledonia Counties — the Northeast Kingdom — has collaborated with Lamoille FiberNet to serve a significant portion of Wolcott. If you live in the village of Wolcott or are served by Hardwick Electric, it is likely that NEK, rather than Lamoille FiberNet, will be serving you. NEK Broadband’s website is https://nekbroadband.org/.
Two of the other CUDs — Southern Vermont CUD and Otter Creek CUD — have partnerships with Fidium/Consolidated that are similar to Lamoille FiberNet’s, and given the similarities in these models, Lamoille FiberNet has signed an agreement with these CUDs to explore ways to collaborate and make the most effective use of the funding and provide the most sustainability.
Other questions?
We hope this article has helped you understand each organization’s role in bringing high-speed internet to our region. For more info, here are some helpful links:
- To pre-order Fidium’s service: https://www.fidiumfiber.com/fiber-internet-morristown-vt.
- To see the basic pricing, go to the Pricing Chart.
- To see if your address is in Phase One’s 2024 construction or to see the approximate construction timetable: https://www.fidiumfiber.com/fiber-internet-morristown-vt. If you’re not sure, please reach out to us at info@lamoillefiber.net, and we will be happy to confirm the addresses Lamoille FiberNet will be serving.
- For more information about Lamoille FiberNet: https://lamoillefiber.net/.
- To see who your town’s representative is on Lamoille FiberNet’s volunteer board: https://lamoillefiber.net/about-lamoille-fibernet/
- To see the cost of bringing fiber to your home in the Lamoille FiberNet region, i.e., the “drop,”: Installation & Underground Service – Lamoille FiberNet.
- To ask specific questions (e.g., long driveways, new home construction), please call Fidium at (877) 769-4771.
OUR LAMOILLE FIBERNET VISION:
Every home and business in our territory will be connected to fast, reliable internet service.
OUR LAMOILLE FIBERNET MISSION:
To prioritize access of unserved and underserved addresses to symmetrical, high-speed, and affordable internet service – as soon as possible.
For more info about Lamoille FiberNet, go to http://www.LamoilleFiber.net.
