The state is seeking to bolster existing broadband service in some communities in an effort to help local economies.
Until now, the efforts of the Vermont Telecommunications Authority have been devoted to making sure broadband reaches all areas of the state.
Executive Director Chris Campbell says with that goal in sight, the authority is looking beyond it and trying to determine how to meet increasing demands for bandwidth.
“And that is, how do we bring all of the areas in Vermont up to the kind of really fantastic broadband speeds that are available in portions of Vermont,” says Campbell
Campbell says the first step is the establishment of an application process to help identify business districts that could benefit from improved broadband.
“What we’re actually asking communities to tell is, what are the areas where you see a need. Then we want to work with the people in those communities to define what those needs are, then we want to turn to the people who are in the business of providing broadband and ask them what they can do,” he says.
Campbell says up to $2 million dollars will be made available to address underserved business districts.
Communities can apply to the program at the Vermont Telecommunications Authority Website.
