For Immediate Release
September 24, 2007
Contact:
Bob Merrill pomfret.broadband@gmail.com
802-457-4938
Janet Zug janet@zugglass.com
802-889-9602
Regional Fiber-Optic Network Planned
[Tunbridge, VT Sept. 24, 2007]
Fourteen towns in east-central Vermont have formed the East-Central Fiber Network (ECFibernet) to bring high-speed internet access to our region via fiber-optic cable.
High-speed Internet access, extensive TV choices and phone service delivered via fiber-optic cable is becoming commonplace in large cities, but is just starting to come to rural communities. Fiber is the fastest, most reliable and "future proof" solution for handling vast amounts of data on a single cable.
ECFibernet is working with Burlington Telecom to make this happen. Burlington Telecom is a municipally owned company formed to bring high-speed Internet service, as well as TV and Telephone, to all the homes and businesses in Burlington. As part of their infrastructure they needed to build a fiber hub. This hub is under-utilized by Burlington and BT has offered to help other Vermont towns to create a network and use their hub to provide service. This makes it possible for groups of small towns to build a fiber network, as we do not need to make the large, up-front investment involved in building and operating a hub.
Also assisting in the project is ValleyNet, a non-profit organization in White River Junction whose mission includes advocating for universal and effective Internet access. ValleyNet has been studying universal broadband access since 2005, and is involved in the analysis and organization of this project.
The towns that are currently part of the ECFibernet group are Randolph, Williamstown, Chelsea, Braintree, Brookfield, Tunbridge, Vershire, Strafford, Thetford, Sharon, Royalton, Norwich, Barnard and Pomfret.
A meeting was held on Monday Sept 24th with the town select board members of the regional group. The towns surrounding the current group were also invited to hear of the project and possibly join in the effort.
There will be public meetings through the fall and early winter to inform residents and public officials of these and other towns about this technology and how it can be brought to the region. For a schedule of the public meetings and for more information about ECFibernet, visit its website at http://www.ecfiber.net or call Janet Zug (Tunbridge) at 802-889-9602, or Bob Merrill (Pomfret) at 802-457-4938.