Cellular Resiliency in Natural Disasters
The U.S. Department of Economic Development (EDA) has awarded the Vermont Telecommunications Authority (VTA) a $1.6 million grant to help deploy resilient cellular and broadband services to nine towns extensively damaged by Tropical Storm Irene and other 2011 flooding.
The VTAs Cellular Resiliency Project is focused on communities that experienced the greatest amounts of financial damage. Other factors in the project parameters include those towns that either didn’t have cell and broadband service before the flooding or their cell and broadband services were interrupted by direct damage and/or power outages. The funding will add infrastructure in two ways: expanded cellular service on roadways and Wi-Fi "hotspots" in nine towns.
Where will cell service expansion happen?
Cell service will be expanded on 120 miles of roadway in Addison County, Essex County, Washington County, Windham County and Windsor County.
Where will resilient Wi-Fi hotspots be located?
Nine communities, which took part in the grant planning, will gain communication hotspots: Halifax, Hancock, Norton, Readsboro, Rochester, Roxbury, Stockbridge, Townshend and Whitingham.
The hotspots will involve both wireless Internet and cellular service. They will be able to operate during power outages through solar power sources and will include secondary broadband connections, available if the main connection is damaged.
This grant to the VTA was funded through the federal fiscal year 2012 Disaster Relief Opportunity notice and administered through the EDA, a sub-agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce. The EDA awards disaster grants to support a community’s long-term recovery, spur job creation, leverage private investment, and promote elements that support potential future needs for disaster recovery. The Governor's office and Vermont's Congressional delegation activiely supported the funding proposal.