The Vermont Broadband Mapping Team has recently released 2009 data on High Speed Broadband Availability compiled from requests of all providers and major institutions in Vermont. From this data we created a map that presents a picture of internet access throughout the state and highlights the “unserved” and “underserved” communities in Vermont by Census Block. Not all providers indicated their speed. As of June 2009 there were 41 Vermont towns with less than 10 percent high speed broadband access and 20 of those towns that have no broadband coverage. While there are a large number of ‘unserved’ and ‘underserved’ areas throughout Vermont, it is estimated that of the 293,096 serviceable buildings, 79 percent have access to high speed broadband. High speed broadband access, in this case, is defined as a maximum advertised download speed of 3 Mbps or greater.
PDF of Broadband Availability Map
The Vermont Broadband Mapping Team, which includes public, private, and academic entities, has developed a comprehensive and verified geographic inventory of broadband service availability throughout the state. The purpose of this mapping effort is to support broadband development programs and to enhance broadband access in Vermont. As a part of the Vermont Broadband Mapping Team’s goals is the development of a broadband web mapping tool that will allow users to search and visualize the broadband services in their area. The completion of the web-based mapping application is slated for September of this year. This project is a part of a larger, national, initiative by the Department of Agriculture Rural Utilities Service’s Broadband Initiatives Program and the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications Information Administration’s Broadband Technology Opportunities Program. The National Broadband Plan includes six goals including that “every community should have affordable access to at least 1 Gbps broadband service.”
For more information about Vermont’s Broadband Mapping Team, visit: http://www.vcgi.org/about_vcgi/?page=./projects/bmi/default_content.cfm. For more information about the National Broadband Plan, visit: http://www.broadband.gov/
Map prepared by Katie Budreski, Stone Environmental Inc., Montpelier VT 05602, 802.229.1870, kbudreski@stone-env.com.
