VTel Wireless Voice/LTE Project (Complete)

The Vermont Telecommunications Authority (VTA) has contracted with an affiliate of the Vermont Telephone Company, VTel Wireless, based in Springfield, Vermont, in support of their innovative LTE mobile wireless phone service project. The $2,644,093 in grant funds are from VTA’s capital budget appropriation from the Legislature as part of Governor Peter Shumlin’s Connect VT initiative.

With the assistance of a grant and loan from the U.S. Rural Utilities Service (RUS), VTel has been developing a wireless broadband Internet expansion project called Wireless Open World (WOW). VTA funds will be used to purchase and activate equipment and software to make it possible to utilize mobile voice, texting and other enhanced services from mobile phones on VTel’s new wireless broadband network.

The VTA grant leverages the existing investment to support expanded cell service across the areas to be covered through the WOW project across Vermont.

Phones for use on the network will be available for sale through VTel at retail rates.

Installation of equipment is complete. Service is estimated to begin in 2015.