Vermont proposes providing broadband internet service to all state residents

The Vermont Department of Public Service is proposing a plan to provide broadband internet service to everyone in the state.

About 23% of the state, or 70,000 homes and businesses, doesn’t have access to high-speed internet services. That’s defined as speeds of 25 megabits per second for download and 3 megabits per second for upload.

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“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. The plan assumes that Vermont will receive an additional infusion of federal aid to support recovery from the pandemic.

The estimated amount of public funding ranges from $122 million to $293 million, depending on the method used to disburse the funding.