Vermont officials have drafted a pandemic recovery plan for telecommunications in the state.
The draft plan, published Thursday by the Department of Public Service, calls for building targeted line extensions, supporting small-scale wireless projects and offering more subsidies for low-income residents who have access to broadband but cannot afford it.
The plan also recommends forming a “Broadband Corps,” a team focused on supporting the state’s burgeoning communications union districts and mobilizing people to test mobile hotspots, help with residential installations and provide technical support.
Vermonters are encouraged to submit public comments on the 306-page plan by Dec. 10. Hearings are planned for Dec. 3 and Dec. 8, ahead of the final plan’s release on Dec. 20.
There has been widespread frustration that many rural parts of Vermont still have little access to high-speed internet, even though it has become essential to business and communications and became imperative when schools went to remote learning because of the pandemic.
In May, the state issued a separate emergency plan to immediately address telecoms problems amid the Covid-19 pandemic. That plan received a lukewarm response from regional broadband district representatives, who thought the state’s ideas might stifle their growth.
— Justin Trombly
