Internet provider announces progress, looks forward to work with state

By Keith Whitcomb Jr.
Staff Writer
MONTPELIER, Vt. — Consolidated Communications says its pre-pandemic plans to upgrade internet service in Montpelier and Brattleboro are going well, and it hopes to work with the state to put any added federal broadband funding to good use.

Since January, the company has upgraded 5,000 passings in the Montpelier and Brattleboro areas to symmetrical gigabit fiber service, according to Consolidated Communications senior director of fiber build strategy, Jeffrey Austin.

A passing is simply a potential customer who could access the fiber service, Austin said. Symmetrical service means the download speed is the same as the upload speed. Austin said that historically, download speeds have been higher, but as more people work, attend school and see their doctors remotely, there’s been more demand for both.

“That need to increase upload speed has increased exponentially, so having the ability to have the upload speed match the download speed to gigabit speed availability really does get us the momentum for future proofing the service that’s needed,” he said.

So far, the Montpelier area has seen 2,000 passings upgraded, while Brattleboro has seen 3,000. Austin said 50,000 will be completed across the state in 2021, with 24,000 slated for the Rutland area. The work is part of a 5-year plan to upgrade 200,000 passings.

“This is an aggressive build plan, and we’re really excited to work every day to expand gigabit symmetrical speeds and fiber internet to our customers,” he said.

The 5-year plan is fully funded by Consolidated Communications, he said, and the hope is it will dovetail with the government’s plans for coronavirus relief funds, leading to more service.

The company has been talking to many of the newly formed communications union districts, municipal entities made up of towns with the goal of improving local internet service, about working with them, and state and federal funds.

On Wednesday, the House Committee on Energy and Technology continued to hear testimony on how the state should allocate federal dollars for broadband improvement.

Tom Evslin, of Broadband Equity Now, who served Vermont as chief recovery officer during the Great Recession, told the committee it should allocate $6 million to cover broadband connection costs for low-income households, between $5 and $6 million for subsidies keeping monthly bills at $25 per month for low-income households, and $5 million towards a Broadband Corps.

That last piece, he said, would be key to making sure the federal funds are spent on the people they’re meant for. The Broadband Corps would train existing state employees and others on informing the public about the programs available to get them online. He said some internet service providers offering low-income plans see low rates of participation.

“We can’t expect the family that doesn’t have internet to Google ‘how do I get online’ and then watch a YouTube video so they’ll know how to do that,” he said. “The families not online are badly disconnected.”

He said the state has the ability to require internet service providers using federal funds to assist their build-outs to offer low-cost service plans to low-income families.

keith.whitcomb @rutlandherald.com