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Governor Douglas Celebrates Broadband Award

Montpelier, Vt. (August 4, 2010) – Governor Jim Douglas today congratulated the Vermont Telephone Company (VTel) on their successful U.S. Department of Agriculture rural broadband grant and loan award as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The total project cost will be more than $146 million including $30 million of private capital to be invested by VTel.

“Vermont’s success in competing for these valuable funds will help bring broadband and cell phone service to every corner of our state,” said Governor Douglas. “I applaud VTel for its foresight and commitment to make long-term investments in Vermont. VTel’s investments in wireless spectrum are one of the reasons they are so well-positioned to do this project. This award is a major milestone and I congratulate them for this achievement.”

VTel was awarded an approximately $82 million grant and $35 million loan to bring broadband service to more than 130,000 unserved and underserved Vermonters. VTel believes that this project, along with services already in place, will result in virtually all Vermonters having high quality broadband available. Moreover, because the project uses 4G wireless technology, it will contribute to the rapid improvement of cellular coverage in Vermont.

This latest announcement comes on the heels of a recent broadband award for nearly $48 million to the Vermont Telecommunications Authority (VTA) and VTel to build-out middle-mile fiber and bring ultra high-speed broadband to “anchor” institutions throughout the state. Vermont electrical utilities were also awarded a nearly $60 million grant to achieve a statewide Smart Grid to help increase energy efficiency, promote renewable source of power and provide Vermonters with more information and control over how they use energy. The total stimulus broadband and smart grid awards to Vermont and Vermont companies are almost $250 million – critical capital funding that is needed to make the e-State a reality.

“The efforts and coordination that began in 2007 with the e-State initiative have positioned Vermont to take advantage of these exciting opportunities today,” said Governor Douglas. “I appreciate the work of all Vermont’s providers, utilities and public sector partners to move forward this important initiative. I particularly thank the Vermont congressional delegation for working closely with my Administration to achieve our goals on behalf of the people of Vermont.”

Vermont’s Chief Technology Officer Tom Evslin added that “despite the great recession – which made private capital hard to come by – we have now obtained from state, federal, and private sources virtually all the capital we need to achieve our initial e-State goals and even more. We are funded to have the smartest electrical grid and best statewide communication capability in the nation.”

In addition to these awards, state government is making additional investments to bring broadband to every corner of the state. Governor Douglas proposed a “Backroads Broadband” program in his State of the State Address in January and the Legislature appropriated nearly $3 million to the program in the Governor’s Jobs Bill last session. This program, along with additional support of the VTA, will help bring services to last mile customers.

“With capital funding in place, now we must execute,” said Governor Douglas. “State agencies will work to assure that we expeditiously and consistently handle the permits that will be required for the volume of Smart Grid, broadband, and cellular project that are being done and to provide one-stop shopping through the VTA for use of state lands and facilities.”

Source: Office of the Governor
Last Updated at: August 04, 2010 16:23:40