The Vermont Department of Public Service is proposing a plan to provide broadband internet service to everyone in the state.
Currently about 23% of the state, or 70,000 homes and businesses, do not have access to high-speed internet services. That's defined as download speeds of 25 megabits per second download and 3 megabits per second upload.
“The internet is necessary infrastructure that is essential for Vermonters to stay safe when they shelter at home during a crisis, such as the COVID-19 emergency,” June Tierney, the commissioner of the Department of Public Service, said in a statement announcing the plan.
The cost estimate is approximately $300 million and assumes that Vermont will receive an additional infusion of federal aid to support recovery from the COVID-19 virus.
The estimated amount of public funding ranges from $122 million to $293 million, depending on the method used to disburse the funding.
