CVFiber has committed to purchase 300 miles of fiber, and is pressing to complete preconstruction including high-level design and pole inventories for five towns. We have chosen Waitsfield Champlain Telecom as our partner for CVFiber Operations. Click the link for Jeremy Hansen’s interview on WDEV radio’s “Vermont Viewpoint”.

  • The pole inventory is nearly complete in five towns. The next phase will begin as soon as we receive grant funds that have already been approved.
  • A joint purchase of fiber by CVFiber and other CUDs has been undertaken.
  • CVFiber has chosen a developer and operator with which to negotiate for managing its Community Network.
  • The Northfield/Roxbury project has completed engineering and is moving into the make-ready phase.
  • Batchelder Associates, a local, woman-owned firm, has been engaged to provide CVFiber’s accounting services.
  • CVFiber founder and chair Jeremy Hansen recently appeared on WDEV Radio. Link provided below.  

And now, the details:

Pole Inventory and Design Progress

By the end of November, the pole inventory should be complete in Calais, East Montpelier, Middlesex, Moretown and Worcester. The inventory will begin in 11 more communities (Barre Town, Cabot, Duxbury, Marshfield, Northfield, Orange, Plainfield, Roxbury, Washington, Williamstown, and Woodbury) as soon as CVFiber receives the initial funds from the $2.8 million preconstruction grant approved in October by the Vermont Community Broadband Board. That inventory may be interrupted by winter weather as some poles would be hard to reach if there’s snow accumulation. If there are interruptions, the inventory would be completed as soon as possible in the spring.

Vantage Point Solutions continues to develop the high-level design for the CVFiber network, which should be complete by the end of the year.

Joint Fiber Purchase

The Vermont Communications Union District Association (VCUDA) is working with the Vermont Community Foundation (VCF) and the National Rural Telecommunications Co-op (NRTC) to make an initial bulk purchase of 1,000 miles of fiber. CVFiber has committed more than $800,000 to purchase 300 miles of that fiber, which is estimated to be about 25% of our total requirement.  

The demand for fiber and its cost are rising rapidly as a result of the billions of dollars in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding available for rural broadband. The VCUDA/VCF/NRTC arrangement will put CVFiber in an early queue for fiber and hopefully prevent construction delays in 2022. This may be a model for future material purchases.

Developer/Operator Chosen

CVFiber has chosen to negotiate with the Waitsfield Champlain Telecom/NRTC/Mission Broadband Team to become the Developer and Operator of the CVFiber Community Network. As a locally-owned firm, WCVT is an ideal partner for CVFiber’s operations. Both entities share a commitment to top-quality service for all.

Update on Northfield/Roxbury

ECFiber, on behalf of CVFiber, is designing and constructing access to 100Mbps/100Mbps service to approximately 50 residences in the Towns of Northfield and Roxbury. Design is complete and pole applications have been submitted to the telephone and electric utilities with a request to expedite licensing and tree trimming. Service access is projected to be available by the end of the year. 

Accounting Firm Chosen

CVFiber has contracted with the woman-owned firm of Batchelder Associates in Barre to provide accounting services. Engaging an accounting firm is one more step in establishing a professional organization to develop and operate a $50 million network on behalf of the 55,000 plus residents in the 20-community CVFiber district.

CVFiber on the Radio

On November 3, Jeremy Hansen, founder and chair of CVFiber, appeared on WDEV Radio’s “Vermont Viewpoint” program to talk all things CVFiber. The 30-minute conversation is available online in podcast form at: https://wdevradio.com/cvfiber-dutch-hill-alliance-of-skiers-and-hikers-national-adoption-month/

How to Reach CVFiber

CVFiber is a nonprofit municipality and we welcome your input. You can post inquiries on our Contact page.

You can also reach out to your member of the Governing Board, which includes one delegate and one alternate from each of our 20 communities. A list of delegates and alternates can be found on our Governing Board page or you can contact your delegation on our Contact page.