I am writing to enlist the support of your readers in ECFiber’s application to the Vermont Telecommunications Authority (VTA) for a grant under the “Backroads Broadband” program.

As the service manager at Vermont Computing in Randolph, I talk to customers every day who tell me of their frustration at not having access to broadband Internet connectivity and how it is affecting their lives personally and professionally. The situation is truly impacting on Central Vermont and its ability to attract businesses to relocate here and others who would like to.

For example, I understand the Vermont Law School has experienced an uptick in potential students opting not to attend VLS because they can’t get broadband access from their rented accommodations. Beside renting apartments, these temporary Vermonters bring much needed revenue to our local businesses and contribute to the daily lives of our communities. We all lose every time a VLS applicant withdraws his candidacy.

As many of your readers probably know, Vermont Telephone Co. (VTel) of Springfield will be deploying wireless Internet service throughout much of Vermont using grant money from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. VTel claims most Vermonters will have broadband coverage once their service is in place.

What they fail to mention, however, is it will leave much to be desired and certainly not comparable to the level of service ECFiber, using fiber optic cable, will be able to offer. Additionally, because of the topography of Central Vermont, not all residents will be able to access the VTel's service.

The VTA has designated these locations as "unserviced areas" and ECFiber has applied to the VTA for a grant which will enable it to serve those locations.

It is interesting to note that VTel will be using some of the federal grant money to provide its customers in the Springfield area with fiber optic service and not the wireless service it plans to inflict on the rest of the state. ECFiber’s mission, on the other hand, is to bring fiber optic connectivity to every (not “most”) resident, school and business in the 23 towns participating in the project. The grant from VTA will help ECFiber fulfill this commitment.

I ask your readership to contact Chris Campbell, the executive director of the VTA (ccampbell@telecomvt.org), as well as their state representatives and senators. Let them know you support ECFiber’s application and urge them to encourage the VTA to approve it.

Ian D. Stewart

Bethel