Vermonters Put Full Court Press on Middle Mile Funding Application

Vermont stakeholders have collaborated on an application for $114 million in funding through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) middle mile grant program. If awarded, the funding would represent over 10% of the approximately $1 billion allotted to the NTIA program, which has proven to be a highly competitive one. The Vermont Community Broadband Board (VCBB) spearheaded the application. The request would cover some of the costs of the proposed 1,663-mile fiber network. The Vermont governor’s budget proposal calls for the state to provide an additional $30 million. And another $16 million would come in cash and in-kind contributions from NEK Broadband, ECFiber, and FirstLight. The middle mile network would connect CUDs—groups of Vermont towns that have come together to construct and operate local broadband networks—to one another and to internet hubs beyond state borders.