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Business Broadband Improvement Districts

What is a Business Broadband Improvement District?

Business Broadband Improvement Districts (Districts) are areas where businesses  would benefit from access to improved broadband Internet services. Approved Districts must include one or more of the following:

  • An industrial or office park, or district;
  • An employer of significance to the local economy;
  • An area of tourism activity of significance to the local economy;
  • Any area of a town containing three or more small or home-based businesses with a demonstrated intent to purchase upgraded Internet service, once available; or
  • A downtown, village or town center where local commercial activity and/or public services are concentrated.

Districts may be within a single municipality or include two or more adjacent municipalities.

What does the application and approval process involve?

District proposals were solicited in the autumn of 2013. (The application period is now closed.) Proposals were approved by the Agency of Administration from among those submitted.

All Approved Districts Receive Technical Support

All approved Districts are receiving technical support from the Vermont Telecommunications Authority (VTA). By consulting with approved Districts, the VTA is helping them define and articulate their broadband needs. The VTA is also helping the businesses in many Districts seek improved or expanded service from broadband service providers through a Request for Information (RFI).

Additional Support Possible for Some or All Districts

Depending on the results of RFIs, and as available funding allows, additional types
of VTA support will be evaluated and may be offered as follows:

  1. Support for some Districts may include grant awards to Internet Service Providers (ISPs) or financial assistance to consumers to help improve broadband infrastructure that will serve businesses in the District.
  2. If necessary and cost effective, support for some Districts may include the VTA itself building broadband infrastructure to help ISPs improve service.
  3. For a subset of applicants, support will include creating a WiFi Hot Zone for applicants specifically requesting one.

Where have Districts been approved?

There are currently approved Districts within parts of the following towns:
    * Braintree
    * Brookfield/Randolph
    * Canaan
    * Eden
    * Halifax
    * Putney
    * Sharon
    * South Pomfret
    * Wilmington Northeast

Potential solutions are still being analyzed for Eden and Halifax, where developing projects have proven to be an extra challenge.

Where have funded projects been approved by the VTA Board as of their meeting on June 4, 2014?

Braintree, Brookfield/North Randolph, Canaan, Putney, Sharon and South Pomfret.

  • The Putney BBID will be served by business class Internet service provided by Southern Vermont Cable.
  • The Braintree, Brookfield/North Randolph, Sharon and South Pomfret BBIDs will be served by business-class Internet service provided by ECFiber. These projects are contingent on ECFiber raising $200,000 by September 30, 2014.
  • Fiber is being developed in Canaan for a service provider.
  • The Wilmington Northeast BBID will be served by a fiber optic cable line extension built by Duncan Cable.

 WiFi Hot Zone Downtown Districts
    * Bennington - Complete
    * Waterbury - Complete
    * Wilmington - Complete
    * Windsor