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Vermont's Community-Driven Broadband for All - Episode 606 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast

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In this episode of the podcast, Chris and Ry engage in an insightful discussion with Ellie de Villiers, Executive Director of Maple Broadband in Vermont. They explore the unique Communications Union District (CUD) model that Vermont has adopted to bridge the broadband infrastructure gap, especially in underserved areas.

Ellie shares her personal connection to Vermont and describes the local lifestyle before diving into the history and structure of Maple Broadband. The conversation highlights the strategic partnership between Maple Broadband and Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom (WCVT), detailing how this collaboration aims to enhance broadband access in Addison County.

The episode also delves into the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on broadband needs, the challenges of building infrastructure in rural areas, and the importance of community involvement. Ellie explains the phases of construction, the funding mechanisms, and the hurdles they faced, such as make-ready work and pole attachment issues.

The discussion wraps up with a look at future plans, including potential uses of BEAD funding and the ongoing evolution of Maple Broadband's strategy to provide high-quality, affordable internet to its community.

This show is 42 minutes long and can be played on this page or via Apple Podcasts or the tool of your choice using this feed.

Transcript below.

We want your feedback and suggestions for the show-please e-mail us or leave a comment below.

Listen to other episodes or view all episodes in our index. See other podcasts from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.

Thanks to Arne Huseby for the music. The song is Warm Duck Shuffle and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license

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Neighborly Networks - Vermont's Approach to Community Broadband

Neighborly Networks report
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In partnership with the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society, today ILSR releases a new report examining how the state of Vermont is supercharging its telecommunications infrastructure efforts to reach the unconnected by puttings its weight behind community broadband-driven efforts.

The report - Neighborly Networks: Vermont's Approach to Community Broadband [pdf] - traces the emergence of a unique public-public partnership arrangement that first appeared in the Green Mountain State in 2008. The Communications Union Districts (CUD) model first emerged more than a decade and a half ago among a coalition of towns in the eastern part of the state long-ignored by for-profit Internet Service Providers. There, a collection of community broadband champions came together to prove that the solution to the broken marketplace lay internal to east-central Vermont. ECFiber, a publicly owned, nonprofit ISP was borne of that effort, and began bringing affordable, fast, reliable service to households in the region.

CUD models

Ten years later, when the state began formulating a plan for the future of Internet access, the progress made by and lessons learned from ECFiber drove a landmark shift in public policy in the state. Volunteers emerged, towns voted, and CUDs were placed at the center of Vermont’s effort to bridge the infrastructure gap in the state. Today, there are ten CUDs covering 216 towns across the state, and Vermont’s leaders have put the lion’s share of public funds behind the communications union district model.

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New Report: Neighborly Networks - Vermont's Approach to Community Broadband

Vermont CUD cover
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In partnership with the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society, today ILSR releases a new report examining how the state of Vermont is supercharging its telecommunications infrastructure efforts to reach the unconnected by puttings its weight behind community broadband-driven efforts.

The report - Neighborly Networks: Vermont's Approach to Community Broadband [pdf] - traces the emergence of a unique public-public partnership arrangement that first appeared in the Green Mountain State in 2008. The Communications Union Districts (CUD) model first emerged more than a decade and a half ago among a coalition of towns in the eastern part of the state long-ignored by for-profit Internet Service Providers. There, a collection of community broadband champions came together to prove that the solution to the broken marketplace lay internal to east-central Vermont. ECFiber, a publicly owned, nonprofit ISP was borne of that effort, and began bringing affordable, fast, reliable service to households in the region.

CUD models

Ten years later, when the state began formulating a plan for the future of Internet access, the progress made by and lessons learned from ECFiber drove a landmark shift in public policy in the state. Volunteers emerged, towns voted, and CUDs were placed at the center of Vermont’s effort to bridge the infrastructure gap in the state. Today, there are ten CUDs covering 216 towns across the state, and Vermont’s leaders have put the lion’s share of public funds behind the communications union district model.

Tracing the history of this effort from 2008 to today, this report breaks down the conditions that led to this sea change, where the CUDs are at today, and how we might learn from the Vermont case to improve Internet access elsewhere across the country.

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