Vermont CUDs figure out broadband without help from incumbents

A group in Vermont got so fed up with the lack of high-speed broadband in small towns and rural areas—and the complete lack of interest by incumbent telephone and cable companies—that it went to the Vermont legislature for permission to create a communications union district (CUD). There are now nine CUDs successfully operating in Vermont, and these groups are poised to garner the lion’s share of Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) awards in the state. The trailblazing CUD was ECFiber, which has been so successful that it doesn’t plan to apply for BEAD funds because it’s already reached all the unserved and underserved areas in the 31 towns that it covers. However, some of the other CUDs definitely do plan to apply for BEAD grants, and they’re likely to have friendly treatment from the state’s broadband office.