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News
August
CVPS receives go ahead for $61 million SmartPower project
The Public Service Board has given final approval for Central Vermont Public Service Corp. to move forward with a $60 million investment that will transform the way customers use their electricity.
Dubbed SmartPower, CVPS will replace all 160,000 meters which will allow customers to control how much electricity they use.
"The prospect that consumers across Vermont and New England will be able to respond to price signals and thus reduce peak demand over time is a central benefit of the Smart Grid and AMI (alternative metering infrastructure) specifically," the PSB wrote in its Aug. 6 decision.
The new "smart" meters are equipped with two-way communication capability, eliminating the need for meter readers. Once installed, customers will have two ways to access and control their energy consumption: online or with a digital wall or counter-top heads-up display unit.
Times Argus , August 30, 2010
New $5.5 M. Stimulus Award will Deliver Faster Broadband to Rural Waitsfield Champlain Valley Telecom Customers
Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt. (at large), has issued the following news release: U.S. Sens. Patrick Leahy and Bernie Sanders and Congressman Peter Welch said that a $5.5 million stimulus broadband grant and loan package to Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom, announced today (Wednesday), will help connect their most rural and remote customers to high speed fiber optic internet access.
Vice President Joe Biden Wednesday was joined by representatives of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and its Rural Utilities Service (RUS) and of the U.S. Department of Commerce in announcing that Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom would be receiving a $3.891 million grant and $1.668 million loan to extend a fiber-to-the-home network capable of delivering between 5 megabits per second and 100 megabits per second to 1,385 residents of Addison, Chittenden, and Washington Counties. According to Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom officials, these residents will be among some of the hardest to reach and hardest to serve in the company's territory.
IntoTECH , August 23, 2010
Broadband vs. NIMBY
The plan for extending highspeed broadband to every residence depends on radio links using next generation cellular technology called LTE. The technology will provide us mobile as well as fixed service through a single account. It will indubitably lead to improvements in coverage for cellular voice service as well. But there's a catch. The base radios for this service – like all cellular services – need antennas mounted above interference. Although some of these antennas can go on public buildings and in places like church steeples, many if not most of them will have to be placed on towers. And most of these towers will be new. If we already had towers in the unserved parts of the state, those parts of the state wouldn't be unserved.
The towers can't be invisible or they won't work. At a minimum, the antennas need to be mounted twenty feet above the tree tops. If there are multiple service providers on a tower, which we hope there will be, the antennas for each service need to be separated by ten vertical feet. In general the tops of towers will be forty feet or more above the tree tops. Towers in high places are also a good thing from a communication point of view and high places aren't invisible either.
Vermont Tiger , August 23, 2010
Fairpoint Proposal Could Bring High Speed Internet to West Lamoille County
According to the Lamoille County Broadband Development Committee, Fairpoint Communications has answered a request for proposal (RFP) regarding the Vermont Telecommunications Authority Backroads Broadband RFP.
Under the terms of the RFP, Fairpoint's response will include bringing "100% broadband availability to all unserved locations within a target community." In this case, the target community includes the five towns of Cambridge, Waterville, Belvidere, Johnson and Eden.
The only areas deemed an exception to the coverage area are: locations that already have access to broadband services with a download speed of at least 768 kb per second and an upload speed of at least 200 kb per second, currently have no telecommunications or electric service provided by a company regulated by the Vermont Public Service Board or are seasonal properties used less than six months per year.
The Lamoille County Broadband Development Committee (LCBDC) formed this past June and encompasses the broadband committees of each of the five towns being covered.
NewsandCitizen.com , August 22, 2010
Vermont Aims For Universal Broadband, Cellular Coverage
When Tom Evslin describes Vermonters' access to high-speed Internet, he doesn't sugarcoat their lack thereof. Due to the state's rural nature, about 15 percent of its residents currently rely on dial-up or satellite services to go online, as there's no other option, said Evslin, the state's chief technology officer. Such a telecommunications backdrop has become an obstacle to economic growth and a deterrent to companies eyeing moves to the area, he said. But that backdrop may soon shift to one that attracts such growth, largely due to federal broadband stimulus funds.
"Up to this point, lack of broadband and lack of cellular coverage in our rural areas have been a real detriment to economic development, to teaching, to a lot of things, and we wanted to close that gap," Evslin said. "We lag the nation because we're more rural than most states, and rural areas lag the urban areas."
And it's financially poised to close that gap, as the Vermont Telephone Co. (VTel) was recently awarded an $81 million broadband stimulus grant and $35 million government-backed loan by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The independent telephone company also is contributing $30 million to the project that's been dubbed the Wireless Open World, which will make wireless Internet available to nearly all of Vermont's unserved homes, businesses and anchor institutions.
Vermont officials have described the recent news as a "game changer."
Government Technology , August 20, 2010
Vermont Delegation Announces $5.5 Million Award To Bring Faster Broadband To Rural Waitsfield Champlain Valley Telecom Customers
U.S. Sens. Patrick Leahy and Bernie Sanders and Congressman Peter Welch said that a $5.5 million stimulus broadband grant and loan package to Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom, announced today (Wednesday), will help connect their most rural and remote customers to high speed fiber optic internet access.
Vice President Joe Biden Wednesday was joined by representatives of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and its Rural Utilities Service (RUS) and of the U.S. Department of Commerce in announcing that Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom would be receiving a $3.891 million grant and $1.668 million loan to extend a fiber-to-the-home network capable of delivering between 5 megabits per second and 100 megabits per second to 1,385 residents of Addison, Chittenden, and Washington Counties. According to Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom officials, these residents will be among some of the hardest to reach and hardest to serve in the company´s territory.
Leahy.Senate.gov , August 19, 2010
Vermont company wins $5.5 million broadband grant
A $5.5 million federal grant and loan package to Waitsfield and Champlain Telecom will help connect its most rural and remote customers to high-speed fiber optic Internet access, members of Vermont´s congressional delegation said Wednesday. The Obama administration announced Wednesday that the company will receive a $3.89 million grant and $1.66 million loan to extend a fiber-to-the-home network to 1,385 residents of Addison, Chittenden and Washington counties.
The funding, part of a $7 billion initiative to expand broadband services in the nation, comes from the $787 billion economic stimulus package signed into law last year. Thirty-seven states will share $1.8 billion in investments announced Wednesday.
"It is our goal to continue to evolve our network to bring next generation broadband service to our customers, and this will go a long way in helping us to accomplish this," said Gregg Haskin, president and CEO of Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom.
Burlington Free Press , August 19, 2010
FCC Report Confirms Slow Broadband Speeds; Don't Panic Yet
The new FCC Broadband Performance OBI Technical Paper No. 4 is already fueling the hype machine with the headline that consumers get roughly half the stated upload and download speeds Internet service providers claim. What the FCC found simply confirms what we knew already: the speeds advertised by ISPs are not what end users actually receive, but the reality isn't as bad as the numbers suggest. The report states that 80 percent of broadband users need only four megabits per second (Mbps), which equals the actual average speed that users received across all types of services offered.
Still, as seen in the graphic taken from the report, the stated average speeds collected by the FCC from sources like comScore and Greenstein & McDevitt vary from the actual performance delivered by as much as 50 percent.
NetworkComputing.com , August 19, 2010
FairPoint CEO asked to step down
FairPoint Communications' secured creditors have asked CEO David Hauser to resign, less than 14 months after he came aboard in a failed effort to steer the firm away from insolvency, the company said in bankruptcy court papers Monday.
The company said it was seeking approval to appoint Paul H. Sunu as its new chief executive. "This is not unusual in a bankruptcy situation, where secured lenders like to put in their own person," said Hauser, a former chief financial officer at Duke Energy ( DUK - news - people ) who came out of retirement to lead FairPoint.
He told The Associated Press he would stay on as a consultant to Sunu while the company emerges from Chapter 11 bankruptcy court protection.
Forbes , August 17, 2010
FairPoint Communications Files Motion Seeking U.S. Bankruptcy Court Approval of Paul H. Sunu as New Chief Executive Officer
In a motion filed today in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the southern district of New York, FairPoint Communications, Inc. (the Company) is seeking approval of the appointment of Paul H. Sunu as Chief Executive Officer of the Company. Sunu will replace David L. Hauser as CEO. Hauser will remain a consultant to the Company until its emergence from Chapter 11. Provided the U.S. Bankruptcy Court approves both Hauser's consulting agreement and Sunu's proposed employment agreement, Hauser will resign and Sunu will commence his duties as CEO.
Provided the U.S. Bankruptcy Court approves the various agreements, J. Bonnie Newman, lead director of the Company's board of directors, will become chairperson of the board of directors. Newman, of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, has served as lead director since October 2007. Sunu will also be appointed to the Company's board of directors.
PRnewswire.com , August 17, 2010
Tapping the Web, 22,000 Miles Up
Satellite companies have been the also-rans of Internet providers. They serve a little more than one million customers, most in rural areas that have no other options. Their services can be painfully slow and cost twice as much as high-speed broadband.
But two companies, WildBlue and HughesNet, are now in a race to change all that. Both plan to launch satellites in the next couple of years that will dwarf their predecessors in space.
WildBlue´s alone will have 10 times the capacity of its three current satellites combined. Such behemoths, the companies say, will enable them, at prices similar to what they now charge, to provide Internet service at speeds many times faster than they now offer — as fast, in some cases, as fiber connections.
New York Times , August 16, 2010
Google Plan With Verizon Disillusions Some Allies
On Friday at lunchtime, as Google employees dined al fresco, a hundred protesters descended on the company´s Silicon Valley campus. A group called the Raging Grannies sang a song called "The Battle Hymn for the Internet," and others carried signs reading, "Google is evil if the price is right." They were there to complain about what they saw as Google´s about-face on how Internet access should be regulated and to deliver a petition with about 300,000 signatures.
Several of the groups at the protest, like MoveOn.org and Free Press, once saw Google as their top corporate ally in the fight for net neutrality — the principle that the Internet should be a level playing field, with all applications and services treated equally.
New York Times , August 16, 2010
Dorset eyes proposed 140-foot cell tower
The Vermont Telecommunications Authority has begun the process to obtain a state permit that will help bring a cell tower to Dorset.
According to Dorset Town Manager Rob Gaiotti, an application for a town permit will follow shortly thereafter. Once the permits are received it is expected that construction of the tower would take about four weeks to complete -- something that the town hopes will come to fruition by the fall.
"We're hopeful, or we're optimistic, that this time frame will be a few months ... and we can get the site put up before winter if that's a possibility," Gaiotti said in a telephone interview Wednesday.
Bennington Banner , August 16, 2010
Will Pew numbers argue for or against NBP?
Many respondents to a new survey think there is no need for the government to prioritize broadband. As the Federal Communications Commission continues to argue for the need for a National Broadband Plan to encourage greater broadband adoption, it no doubt will quote just-released numbers from the annual Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project study of broadband adoption.
Pew found that the number of Americans using broadband rose only 3% within the last year to 66% overall, following several years in a row of what the center described as annual double-digit growth in broadband usage.
However, while slowing growth may help prove the point for more broadband, it is clear survey respondents think there is no need for the government to prioritize the issue. About 53% of the 2252 adults surveyed by Pew said making broadband more affordable should not be "a major government priority." Of that group, 26% said that the government should not get involved in the issue at all. About 41% of survey respondents listed broadband affordability as a government priority, but just 11% of those said it should be a "top priority."
Connected Planet , August 12, 2010
VTA chief says better service soon
With the announcement of several federal grants this year, southern Vermont should expect its spotty cellular and broadband coverage to improve within the next few years, said Christopher Campbell, executive director of the Vermont Telecommunications Authority at a meeting Wednesday.
The meeting, held at the Brattleboro town offices, was attended by about 20 local officials, Windham County residents and leaders in rural communications.
The town of Halifax was well-represented with more than half a dozen residents attending.
"We´ve received a great amount of funding to accommodate the unserved areas in southern Vermont," said Campbell. "Do we still have a few remaining holes? Yes, we do; however, we are very fortunate that in the latest session of the Legislature, funding was passed for the Backroads Broadband Program."
The program´s objective is to bring Vermont closer to 100 percent broadband availability by providing incentives for new service in the most unserved areas of the state.
Brattleboro Reformer , August 12, 2010
Broadband 2010: A Big Slowdown
After several consecutive years of modest but consistent growth, broadband adoption slowed dramatically in 2010. Two-thirds of American adults (66%) currently use a high-speed internet connection at home, a figure that is not statistically different from what the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project found at a similar point in 2009, when 63% of Americans were broadband adopters.
The lack of growth in broadband adoption at the national level was mirrored across a range of demographic groups, with African Americans being a major exception. Broadband adoption by African Americans now stands at 56%, up from 46% at a similar point in 2009. That works out to a 22% year-over-year growth rate, well above the national average and by far the highest growth rate of any major demographic group. Over the last year, the broadband-adoption gap between blacks and whites has been cut nearly in half:
Pew/Internet , August 11, 2010
Sign of the economic times: Libraries see increased usage
Librarians say they see more people coming through their doors since the current economic crunch began two years ago.
Library budgets, however, have been cut or remained the same, requiring libraries to do more with less.
"As people cut budgets at home, they realize one of the places they can save money is at the library," said State Librarian Martha Reid, noting the statewide trend of people using their libraries for Internet access and job hunting.
Librarians have heard of patrons increasing their use of their local libraries and tightening their belts by canceling Netflix subscriptions, Internet accounts, and taking fewer trips to bookstores.
To preserve the jobs of Brattleboro´s six full-time and eight part-time employees, Brooks Memorial Library Director Jerry Carbone chose to shave 24 hours off the part-time employees´ hours.
"Don´t get me wrong — it´s a reduction of services," Carbone said.
Commonsnews.com , August 11, 2010
Google, Verizon Aim to Override FCC
With its mobile future staked on Android and its video aspirations pinned on YouTube, Google´s teaming with Verizon Communications Inc. on Net neutrality should come as no surprise.
On Monday, the two companies, once at opposite ends of the open-Web debate, published a "legislative framework" for governing Net neutrality. Their suggestion "properly empowers" consumers and "gives the FCC a role carefully tailored for the new world of broadband," Alan Davidson, Google´s director of public policy and Tom Tauke, Verizon´s executive vice president of public affairs, policy and communications, wrote in a joint blog. The proposal will allow broadband providers to "manage their networks and provide new types of online services," Davidson and Tauke added.
The manifesto came as the FCC suddenly called off its controversial "closed-door" meetings with Net neutrality stakeholders.
Google's decision to snuggle up to Verizon should come as no surprise. Google needs Verizon and Verizon needs Google, especially as Apple Inc.´s iPhone dominates the booming smartphone world. Many of the mobile devices Verizon sells run on Google´s Android operating system, and they´re proving formidable rivals to the iPhone. Meanwhile, smartphone users are gobbling data in the form of mobile video.
Von.com , August 11, 2010
Verizon iPhone in January — Stars Are Aligning
Measuring the validity of Verizon iPhone rumors is much like playing the game "Clue." You´re never quite certain, but you´re close enough to make a pretty educated guess.
There are two more pieces of evidence today that show a Verizon iPhone is on the horizon, likely in January when Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg delivers a keynote address at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
In a new filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, AT&T seems to be opening the door for losing exclusivity. The filing reads, "Although exclusivity arrangements are important to us, such arrangements may not provide a competitive advantage over time, as the industry continues to introduce new devices and services. Also, while the expiration of any of our current exclusivity arrangements could increase churn and reduce postpaid customer additions, we do not expect any such terminations to have a material negative impact on our Wireless segment income, consolidated operating margin or our cash from operations."
Von.com , August 11, 2010
Front Porch Forum: Connecting Strangers in the Neighborhood
Mention the Internet, and most people think of the World Wide Web, of reaching out across the globe for news, long-lost friends, or low-price bargains. But in dozens of Vermont towns, residents are using the web to connect with their back-fence neighbors. In an era where national and global information is broadly available online, it seems that few of us know our neighbors and what's going on down the street.
My name is Michael Wood-Lewis, and my wife, Valerie, and I saw an opportunity four years ago and created Front Porch Forum (FPF) to serve our home region in northwest Vermont. Amazingly, nearly half of the state's largest city now subscribes to FPF. The sense of community here is thriving and winning national recognition, including a 2010 Knight News Challenge award.
Huffington Post , August 11, 2010
FairPoint investing heavily in Maine as bankruptcy drags on
Despite lingering public image problems and a pending company reorganization necessitated by bankruptcy filings, FairPoint Communications is putting its future hopes in the hands of a massive, expensive fiber optic network and its broad employee base.
Mike Reed, FairPoint's Maine state president, said the company has invested more than $100 million in network infrastructure in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont since 2008. He hopes that commitment will help quell persistent customer complaints.
"We´ve been beat up significantly, but our quality is excellent," Reed said Tuesday during a stop in Bangor. "We´re here to stay. This area is a very important part of our footprint."
Ever since North Carolina-based FairPoint paid $2.3 billion in 2008 for Verizon Communications Inc.'s land line and Internet phone operations in the three northern New England states, the company has been slowed by various problems.
Bangor Daily News , August 11, 2010
WOW Now. Vermont’s New Broadband Opportunity
It´s been a long time coming, but with the recent announcements of over $150 million in new funding sources, Vermont is now positioned to make universal broadband access a reality in the state.
Last week, the USDA awarded a $116 million broadband stimulus grant to Vermontel´s Wireless Open World (WOW) initiative. And in late July, the Vermont Telecommunications Authority received an additional $33.4 million in federal dollars to extend Vermont´s existing fiber optic network. That´s a huge amount of funding granted in a very short period — a game changer by any definition of the term.
DaveLindberg.com , August 11, 2010
Burlington Telecom GM Chris Burns to leave position
Burlington, VT. The City of Burlington announced today that Burlington Telecom´s general manager, Chris Burns, will be leaving the City to take another job out of state. Mr. Burns has worked for Burlington Telecom since its inception in 2002. He started with BT as the project manager, overseeing BT´s phased buildout – from initially serving the school department and City offices to establishing a municipally-run fiber-to-the-home network for residences and businesses throughout Burlington. In November of 2007 Mr. Burns became BT´s general manager, managing all aspects of the municipal telecom enterprise.
"I appreciate the opportunity I´ve had to work at Burlington Telecom and for the City of Burlington," said Mr. Burns. "I highly value my time with the City as BT grew from just a concept to one of the few municipal fiber-to-the-home networks in the country. I now look forward to a new opportunity and would especially like to thank Mayor Kiss, CAO Leopold, the staff at BT, and department heads and City staff for their assistance and support over the years."
Vermont Business Magazine , August 10, 2010
New technology key to Vermont broadband grant
With the dust beginning to settle after the announcement that Vermont will receive a large amount of federal stimulus money to expand broadband, telecommunications and government officials are starting to sort out what it could mean for Vermonters.
The money, about $81 million in grants given by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and another $35 million in government-backed loans, will go to Vermont Telephone Co., or VTel, vastly increasing the size of the company, which serves 19,000 telephone lines in its territory around Springfield. That money will go to provide fast-speed Internet service to underserved parts of the state, primarily through wireless technology. Overall the amount represents roughly 10 percent of the broadband money given out nationally through the grant program.
Michel Guite, the head of VTel, said the technology the company has proposed using – LTE or Long Term Evolution wireless – already exists but the technology has not been employed in less-densely populated areas.
"It is efficient, it is next-generation and it will take years for the giants to get to rural America with it," he said. "The only thing that is unusual is we are putting it in a rural area."
Times Argus , August 10, 2010
FCC Urged To Act On Net Neutrality
The broadband debate will shift from private deals among carriers and content providers to regulatory solutions including reclassifying the Internet as a Title II telecommunications service, according to Senator John Kerry. Pointing to the "Congressional stalemate" over broadband regulation Senator Kerry said the FCC is likely to move ahead on a regulatory solution for oversight of broadband after public outcry over the FCC's private meetings with companies caused the FCC to drop the meetings.
The Massachusetts Democrat, who is chairman of the Senate communications subcommittee, said he hopes a bipartisan compromise can be achieved on broadband, but his comments indicate he believes there is little likelihood of an agreement on broadband being reached during the current session of Congress.
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski "is now moving forward along a regulatory path," said Senator Kerry in a statement. "While this is an imperfect solution, it's his only real option to maintain the proper role of government oversight in communications. While we search for a long term solution I believe that all regulatory options should remain on the table."
NetworkComputing.com , August 09, 2010
WOW
Last week we learned that Vermont Telephone Company (Vtel) was awarded an $81 million federal grant and $35 million loan for its Wireless Open World (WOW) last mile broadband infrastructure project; Vtel will add $30 million of its own equity. It's hard to overstate the significance of this project, particularly in the context of the middle mile grants we were awarded just last month, our sustainable adoption grant, our Smart Grid grants, our mapping grants, the state's Backroads Broadband program, the capital appropriation of $4.5 million to the Vermont Telecommunications Authority (VTA), a 1200 mile fiber backbone buildout by VELCO on its transmission network, our public safety network project (VCOMM), other public investments, and continuing investment by the state's private carriers.
Basically all of the capital is in place for Vermont to achieve its dream – very high speed Internet and cell service everywhere, leading the nation in broadband rather than following, having telecommunications be a reason companies move here instead of an obstacle to economic development! It's now up to us to execute – don't underestimate the difficulty of that. I'll write more shortly on what execution means now that the money is in hand; but the rest of this post is about VTel's WOW plan and how it gets us to universal broadband coverage.
Fractals of Change , August 09, 2010
Vermont moves closer to universal broadband
Vermont is a big step closer to getting broadband access to every corner of the state, thanks to the second large federal stimulus infusion in the past month.
Officials say it will make Vermont a more attractive and efficient state in which to live and do business. See Video
NECN.com , August 06, 2010
Broadband Grants Bring Opportunities, Challenges
Politicians have promised it, and continue to do so, everyone says they want to bring high-speed broadband Internet service to every corner of Vermont. But many Vermonters, especially in rural areas, are still frustrated by that promise going unfulfilled, and are left with slow dial-up technology and spotty at best cell phone service.
So the news this week that a Vermont company called V-TEL has won $116 million in federal grants and loans to get high speed access to nearly every home in the state is being greeted with great anticipation, tempered with some skepticism.
VPR's Mitch Wertlieb gets a kind of primer on the technological opportunities and challenges V-TEL will face, from Chris Campbell of the Vermont Telecommunications Authority.
Vermont Public Radio , August 06, 2010
Rural Schools To Benefit from USDA Broadband Grants
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Wednesday revealed 126 new infrastructure projects designed to bring broadband connectivity to schools, homes, and businesses in rural areas and Native American lands. Combined, the projects represent $1.2 billion in federal stimulus spending, impacting 38 states, including tribal areas.
The projects are all aimed at bringing wired or wireless broadband access to unserved or underserved communities and, in many cases, provide discounted services to "anchor" institutions, such as schools and libraries. The range and scope of the projects vary widely, from copper and fiber land lines to fixed and mobile wireless broadband.
A $146.8 million project in Vermont will bring LTE wireless broadband to "virtually every unserved anchor institution, unserved home, and unserved business throughout Vermont," as well as parts of New York and New Hampshire, according to USDA. LTE ("Long Term Evolution"), a specification of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), offers real-world end user data throughput comparable to other broadband technologies.
The Journal.com , August 05, 2010
Vermont gets $116 million in stimulus money to expand broadband
Vermont is in line to become the first state in the U.S. to bring high-speed wireless Internet access to every resident, thanks to $116 million in federal stimulus grants and loans awarded Wednesday to VTel Wireless Inc., a Springfield-based telecommunications firm.
"Vermont will become the first state in the country with everybody served," J. Michel Guite, president of VTel, also known as Vermont Telephone Co., said shortly after learning his firm had won the grant.
The funding was announced by Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack in a teleconference from Washington. The money will bring high-speed, Tri-Band 4G LTE wireless service to an estimated 130,000 Vermonters and 3,750 businesses that now have little or no Internet access.
The $116 million award represented nearly 10 percent of the $1.2 billion handed out Wednesday to 126 broadband infrastructure projects, exceeded only by a $123.8 million award to a telephone company in western Kentucky.
Burlington Free Press , August 05, 2010
The last 5 percent
DOES EXTENDING broadband access to the last unserved 5 percent of Vermonters really stimulate economic development?" one Vermont senator asked.
"Why should the state provide money to make that happen?" asked another senator.
Two good questions at a time when Vermont is struggling to close a $153 million budget gap and will have to stop doing some of the things it has traditionally done. Should we really be doing something new?
It was my job to answer these questions since I was testifying before a Senate committee in support of Governor Douglas´ proposal to use $3.17 million of federal stimulus money for a program called Backroads Broadband.
Commonsnews.com , August 05, 2010
Governor Douglas Celebrates Broadband Award
Governor Jim Douglas today congratulated the Vermont Telephone Company (VTel) on their successful U.S. Department of Agriculture rural broadband grant and loan award as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The total project cost will be more than $146 million including $30 million of private capital to be invested by VTel.
"Vermont´s success in competing for these valuable funds will help bring broadband and cell phone service to every corner of our state," said Governor Douglas. "I applaud VTel for its foresight and commitment to make long-term investments in Vermont. VTel´s investments in wireless spectrum are one of the reasons they are so well-positioned to do this project. This award is a major milestone and I congratulate them for this achievement."
Vermont.gov , August 05, 2010
$116 Million for broadband targets unserved areas of VT
ermont Business Magazine - 4/10
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced Wednesday that an $81 million broadband stimulus grant and a $35 million government backed loan to Springfield-based Vermont Telephone Company (VTel).
The $35,166,081 loan and $81,664,754 grant to VTel Wireless, Inc for their Wireless Open World (WOW) project is one of 49 broadband infrastructure projects announced nationally. The broadband investments will give rural residents in 29 states access to improved service that will expand economic, health care, educational, and many other opportunities to underserved rural communities. Today's announcement is part of the second round of USDA broadband funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
"The VTell Wireless, Inc. project will give rural Vermont communities access to the tools they need to attract new businesses, jobs, health care and educational opportunities," said Molly Lambert, USDA Rural Development State Director. "Bringing broadband to rural areas of the state provides a gateway for businesses and key institutions – such as libraries, schools, public safety and community centers – to provide services to thousands of people. Building the Wireless Open World network will create jobs and the completed system will provide a platform for rural economic growth in Vermont for years to come."
Vermont Business Magazine , August 04, 2010
Stimulus money sends $117 million to expand broadband in Vermont
Officials say VTel Wireless Inc. will use the money bring wireless broadband to "virtually every unserved home, unserved institution and unserved business throughout the state and into parts of New York and New Hampshire."
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the money today. The funding will allow VTel Wireless to design, engineer and construct the network, which will pass more than 57,000 homes and 3,700 businesses and provide jobs for an estimated 1,800 Vermonters, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Burlington Free Press , August 04, 2010
Fairpoint examines Vermont ruling that splits from Maine, NH
FairPoint Communications may ask a federal court to overturn Vermont regulators' rejection of its reorganization plan as northern New England's dominant landline phone company tries to emerge from bankruptcy, a company executive said Tuesday.
Michael Smith, president of FairPoint's Vermont operations, said that's one of two broad options the company is looking at after the Public Service Board nixed the company's reorganization plan on June 28. That decision put Vermont at odds with New Hampshire and Maine, which had approved the reorganization plan.
"There's two options that we're exploring," Smith said. "One is to go back to the board with amended financial information and see if we can address some of their concerns. The second option is to go to federal bankruptcy court and seek relief there."
He said he expects the company will decide what to do within the next several weeks.
Bangor Daily News , August 04, 2010
Over 120 Recovery Act Broadband Projects to Bring Jobs, Economic Opportunity to Rural Communities
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the funding of 126 new Recovery Act broadband infrastructure projects that will create jobs and provide rural residents in 38 states and Native American tribal areas access to improved service. Broadband access plays a critical role in expanding economic, health care, educational and public safety services in underserved rural communities. Today's announcement is part of the second round of USDA broadband funding through the Recovery Act.
"The broadband projects announced today will give rural Americans access to the tools they need to attract new businesses, jobs, health care and educational opportunities," Vilsack said. "The Obama Administration understands that bringing broadband to rural America provides a gateway for businesses and key anchor institutions – such as libraries, schools, public safety and community centers – to provide services to thousands of Americans. These projects will create jobs building these networks, and the completed systems will provide a platform for rural economic growth for years to come."
In all, $1.2 billion will be invested in the 126 broadband infrastructure projects through funding made available through the Recovery Act. An additional $117 million in private investment will be leveraged, bringing the total funds invested to $1.31 billion.
Vermont.gov , August 04, 2010
FairPoint May Ask Bankruptcy Court To Overrule Vermont Regulators
airPoint Communications may ask a federal court to overrule Vermont's rejection of the company's bankruptcy reorganization plan.
The plan was approved by New Hampshire and Maine. But Vermont regulators said the proposal was based on overly optimistic financial projections.
VPR's John Dillon reports:
(Dillon) FairPoint filed for bankruptcy last October after struggling with high debt and declining revenues in its land line business.
The deal it struck with creditors would have reduced its debt by $1 point-7 billion dollars. The company hoped to come out of bankruptcy by this fall.
But those plans were derailed when the Vermont Public Service Board rejected the bankruptcy reorganization plan. Michael Smith is FairPoint's president for Vermont.
(Smith) "We were within 30 days or so of emerging from this Chapter 11 process. And this was sort of the final hurdle that just didn't get made. So what we've got to do is look at this in terms of all of the approval that we've gotten, not disrupt any of those approvals, and at the same time try to move forward here in Vermont."
Vermont Public Radio , August 03, 2010
Forum on broadband pilot project on Aug. 16
Sunderland, Arlington and Sandgate were recently selected as one of 12 pilot communities to participate in the e-Vermont Community Broadband Project.
As a result, they will benefit from the expertise and resources of e-Vermont´s statewide partners as they help residents design ways to take full advantage of the Internet to create jobs, drive school innovation, provide social services, and increase civic involvement.
E-Vermont is not stringing cable or fiber, but Sunderland, Arlington and Sandgate will receive technical assistance from a team of specialists to help implement projects that the community identifies. e-Vermont communities also receive e-business consulting, technical training and free computers for some classes at Fisher Elementary School, a new way to connect neighbors through Front Porch Forum, and an opportunity to select from a range of digital tools and in-depth training.
Bennington Banner , August 01, 2010
FCC, public safety at odds over broadband plan
Two years ago, the Federal Communications Commission stumbled as it tried to create a nationwide wireless broadband network for police officers, firefighters and emergency medical workers, delaying the construction of what everyone agrees is an urgently needed system.
Now the agency is hoping to rework the plan, which relies on a prime slice of airwaves called the D Block. But many public safety officials say the commission is, once again, going about it the wrong way.
In 2008, the FCC attempted to auction off the block to the wireless industry, with a requirement that the winning bidder help build out a sturdy communications network that would be shared with first responders and give them priority in an emergency. But those conditions proved too onerous, and the auction failed to attract any serious bidders.
So this time around, the agency hopes to auction off the D Block to wireless carriers and use the proceeds - projected to be as much as $4 billion - to help pay for a public safety network on a separate slice of spectrum already set aside for first responder broadband use. In frequency terms, the existing public safety airwaves are right next door to the D Block and just as big. Both pieces of spectrum were freed up in last year's transition from analog to digital TV signals.
WCAX TV , August 01, 2010
July
Woodstock library unveils wi-fi
The Woodstock library unveiled its new town-encompassing wi-fi network Wednesday, with Gov. James Douglas in attendance.
"In effect, the Norman Williams Public Library is bringing a free wireless fidelity network to the entire village," said library Board of Trustees President Jack McGuire. "This is the first ever attempt in the state of Vermont to take an entire town wireless."
Douglas said the opening of the network is important for Vermont's ongoing efforts to keep up with technology.
After a short speech by the governor, the network opened to the public.
The network consists of three repeaters that pick up the signal, and "throw it about the length of a football field" McGuire said. "Right now we are in phase one. Currently the network extends from the library over two thirds of the green and a good way down Route 4."
McGuire said that soon, more repeaters will be put up, and the entire town will be covered.
"We are also prepared to work with citizens outside the city limits if they would like to try and extend it."
Rutland Herald , July 30, 2010
Council to hold Burlington Telecom meeting in executive session
The consultant renegotiating Burlington Telecom's debt has recommended that a special meeting of the Burlington City Council called for Monday be held behind closed doors.
In an e-mail Monday to City Attorney Ken Schatz, Terry Dorman, a principal in the firm Dorman and Fawcett, said the meeting should be "an executive session limited to council members the mayor and senior staff."
Dorman's firm specializes in renegotiating the terms of indebtedness for financially strapped companies. The issue for Burlington Telecom is that it has lived well beyond its means, with capital expenditures outpacing revenues from a subscriber list that fell short of predictions. The company is about $50 million in debt, with $17 million owed to the city for the illegitimate use of public money, and $33.4 million owed to CitiCapital.
The city promise when BT began operations was that the telecommunications company would be self-supporting, and its state license for cable television and the city charter prohibit its becoming a burden for taxpayers.
Burlington Free Press , July 30, 2010
Woodstock offers free Wi-Fi
Local and state officials gathered outside the Norman Williams Public Library in Woodstock Wednesday with a unique announcement: Access to information at the library is no longer limited to inside the building.
"There is no theoretical reason why it has to be within those four walls," said Jack McGuire, the president of the board of the library. "So what we are really doing is taking the library and moving it from inside to outside."
Gov. Jim Douglas was on hand to help launch a new wireless network in the village. It extends free Wi-Fi coverage from the village green to part of Main Street. It's owned by the library and paid for with private donations-- roughly $5,000. Library officials say Woodstock in the first municipality in the state to take on such an endeavor.
"I told Vermonters three years ago that it will have to be a partnership," said Douglas, R-Vermont. "The state and federal government is doing their share, the telecom companies are participating, but communities have to be a part of it too if we are going to make progress in the short term."
WCAX TV , July 28, 2010
Vermont Debuts Trial of Rural Broadband System
his Monday, the architects of Vermont´s experimental rural fiber network, the East Central Vermont Community Fiber Network, announced that financing for the project was "well under way." The pilot is expected to be a trial of a new concept envisioned by Project Director and former general manager of Burlington Telecom Tim Nulty that rural broadband access can be offered at no risk to taxpayers. Currently, Nulty projects that the project will become profitable if just under half of all households in the covered area subscribe to the new network.
Nulty´s promise of financial support for the new network comes just three years after his previous employer, Burlington Telecom, was cited for having "serious financial difficulties." As of this year, Burlington Telecom still "spends far too much" and has never met its promise of self-sufficiency, according to a Blue Ribbon Commission.
While the financing is "well under way" now, its sources have not been disclosed to the public and are as yet unknown.
Broadbandbreakfast.com , July 28, 2010
Sanders: Stimulus funds had big impact in Vermont
In an effort to get a handle on the overall effect of the federal stimulus program on Vermont, U.S. Sen. Bernard Sanders´ office has been working to get a rough idea of what the massive program meant in the Green Mountain State.
The end result is a survey of the dozens of programs in the $862 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that could amount to as much as $1.3 billion – and perhaps 7,000 jobs by the report´s estimate – for Vermont over a period stretching two years.
Roughly 6 percent of Vermonters are now counted as unemployed and "there are many, many more who are underemployed or have given up looking," Sanders, an independent, said.
Part of the massive stimulus package, designed to reduce job losses during the recession, increase investment in infrastructure projects and spur consumer and business spending, was a variety of tax breaks.
Among the many provisions in the stimulus package that affected Vermonters was a tax cut of $400 a year for two years, shared by as much as 95 percent of the state´s residents, Sanders said.
That could mean as much as $1,600 for a two-income family over the two years, he pointed out.
Barre Times Argus , July 28, 2010
A broad problem
When it comes to broadband access in Vermont, promises have come and promises have gone.
But is it reasonable to expect that every home in Vermont will have hard-wired access to broadband services?
Or will some homeowners have to accept the fact that they live just too far off the beaten path for any provider to consider running co-axial or fiber-optic cable to their computers?
When the Vermont Telecommunications Authority was founded in 2007, it was charged with facilitating the delivery of high-speed Internet access to every home in Vermont by the end of this year.
Is it too obvious to state that that´s not going to happen?
There is some good news however.
Recently, the Vermont Telecommunications Authority announced it had received more than $30 million from the federal government to install a "middle-mile" fiber optic network for southern, central and northeastern Vermont.
The project was awarded to Sovernet Communications, which is based in Bellows Falls.
But even with the $33 million from the federal government, it´s not likely that 100 percent of the homes in Vermont will have broadband access to the Internet and when every home in Vermont will have such access is anyone´s guess.
Reformer.com , July 28, 2010
Pilot program to bring high-speed internet to rural Vermont
The East Central Vermont Community Fiber Network said Monday that with financing for the entire 22-town telecommunications network "well under way," it will build a pilot fiber-to-the-home project with Royalton as its hub.
Project Director Tim Nulty said the pilot would "prove our concept" of creating a high-speed Internet network for rural Vermonters, at no risk to taxpayers. Nulty has projected profitability for the network in its fifth year of operation, if 49 percent of the households in the 22 towns subscribe.
Nulty was general manager of Burlington Telecom from 2001 until November 2007. Burlington Chief Administrative Officer Jonathan Leopold has said BT was in serious financial difficulties by late 2007. A Blue Ribbon Commission said earlier this year that BT spent "far too much" on the construction of its network. BT's promise of self-sufficiency has never been met.
ECF spokesman Bob Merrill said the privately financed pilot could extend to a 12-mile radius from Royalton, the distance a passive optical network can function without a "repeater" station to "regenerate" the signal.
"We haven't determined the exact area," Merrill said.
Burlington Free Press , July 28, 2010
Rockefeller to push spectrum auction incentive bill
A powerful U.S. senator will introduce legislation allowing the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to share auction proceeds with spectrum holders that voluntarily give up unused bandwidth and will give police and fire departments additional spectrum for a nationwide wireless broadband network.
Senator John "Jay" Rockefeller, a West Virginia Democrat and chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, said Wednesday he will introduce the Public Safety Spectrum and Wireless Innovation Act in coming days. The bill would allow the FCC to conduct incentive auctions and share the proceeds with current spectrum holders such as television stations, as outlined in the agency's national broadband plan released in March, he said.
"Radio spectrum is a very valuable resource," Rockefeller said in a statement. "It can grow our economy and put new and innovative wireless services in the hands of consumers and businesses. It can enhance our public safety by fostering communications between first responders when the unthinkable occurs. But it is also scarce. That is why we need a forward-thinking spectrum policy that promotes smart use of our airwaves -- and provides public safety officials with the wireless resources they need to keep us safe."
ComputerWorld , July 27, 2010
e-Vermont Bristol Hosts Public Forum
Bristol was recently selected as one of 12 pilot towns to participate in the e-Vermont Community Broadband Project. As a result, it will benefit from the expertise and resources of e-Vermont´s statewide partners as they help residents design ways to take full advantage of the Internet to create jobs, drive school innovation, provide social services, and increase civic involvement.
e-Vermont is not stringing cable or fiber, but Bristol will receive technical assistance from a team of specialists to help implement projects that the community identifies. e-Vermont communities also receive e-business consulting, technical training and free computers for some Bristol Elementary classes, a new way to connect neighbors through Front Porch Forum, and an opportunity to select from a range of digital tools and in-depth training.
Valley Voice , July 27, 2010
FCC: Broadband deployment isn't happening fast enough
Between 14 million and 24 million U.S. residents don't have access to broadband service, and deployment isn't happening fast enough, a report from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission concluded.
Broadband isn't being rolled out to unserved areas in a timely manner, and immediate prospects for deployment to U.S. residents without service are "bleak," the FCC said in the broadband deployment report, released Tuesday. This is the first time, since the FCC began issuing the reports in 1999, that the agency has concluded that broadband isn't being deployed fast enough.
The report, required by Congress, is an "honest look" at the state of broadband in the U.S., Julius Genachowski, the FCC's chairman, said in a statement.
"The report points out the great broadband successes in the United States, including as many as 290 million Americans who have gained access to broadband over the past decade," Genachowski said. "But the statute requires more. It requires the agency to reach a conclusion about whether all -- not some, not most -- Americans are being served in a reasonable and timely fashion."
That's not happening, he added. But the FCC's national broadband plan, released in March, lays out a plan for achieving universal deployment, Genachowski said.
ComputerWorld , July 26, 2010
Vt. Broadband Internet Access: Where Is It?
Marlene and Mike McCarty, real estate brokers who do much of their work at home less than four miles from the Vermont Statehouse, say they spend hundreds of dollars and hours each month on things they wouldn't have to if they had broadband Internet access.
Despite promises for years by state officials and phone and cable companies that they would have broadband by 2010, they're still waiting. Now Vermont is in the heat of a gubernatorial campaign, and the candidates are making a new round of promises about broadband and fixing Vermont's spotty cellular phone coverage.
"I'll believe it when I see it," Mike McCarty said.
Experts say Vermont's mountains and hills block wireless signals. Its sparse population of about 622,000 makes stringing cables to widely scattered rural homes and businesses too expensive to be profitable in many areas. The upshot is that Vermont has struggled to keep up with the information age.
ABC news , July 26, 2010
Verizon's shifting focus upsets unions
A few months ago three different union officials, two from the Communication Workers of America and another from the AFL-CIO stood before the Baltimore City Council, and chastised Verizon at every opportunity. Most of the comments had very little to do with the subject at hand, FiOS in Baltimore City.
We knew at the time the CWA was upset that Verizon was awaiting federal regulatory approval to sell its copper-line business in many parts of the country. The most notable of these was the sale to Frontier Communication of its lines in neighboring Virginia and West Virginia.
Despite a rally that was held by the AFL-CIO and CWA in front of the FCC building back in the spring tp protest the sale, government regulators approved it on July 1. Frontier is taking most if not all of Verizon's workforce. The problem for the unions is, Frontier not a union shop.
Examiner.com , July 26, 2010
FCC Now Defines Broadband As 4 Mbits/s
Up to 24 million Americans lack access to broadband, the Federal Communications Commission announced Tuesday.
Between 14 and 24 million people in the country lack access to high-speed Internet, and immediate prospects for them accessing this service is bleak, the commission said in its sixth annual report to Congress about the state of deployment. The 14 million tally would about equal the 2005 estimated populations of New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago combined.
The FCC said the results underscore the need for reform to the Universal Service Fund, innovative approaches to spectrum allocation, the removal of barriers to infrastructure investment, and better broadband data collection.
None of these suggestions are really new, of course. The need for more spectrum has been a hot topic for ages, and efforts on better broadband data collection are already under way.
The report did, however, update its definition of what constitutes broadband service. For over a decade, the standard has been set at 200 kilobits per second downstream, but the FCC now puts it at 4 Mbits/s downstream and 1 Mbits/s upstream.
PC Magazine , July 21, 2010
Businesses Want Sales Tax On Internet Sales
A growing coalition of Vermonters says it's time online stores like Amazon.com had to charge their customers the state sales tax.
Many local businesses argue it's a matter of fairness.
Bear Pond Books is located right in the heart of Montpelier. The store still features old wooden floors and stacks of books that rise from floor to ceiling.
Under current law, if you buy a book at Bear Pond, you have to pay the state sales tax. But if you purchase it online, you pay the tax only if the company has a physical presence in your state. And not many on line retailers have local outlets.
Claire Benedict is the co- owner of Bear Pond Books. She thinks this situation is unfair.
"This law would level the playing field for small businesses in Vermont and around the country to compete with large e-retailers. When they initially made this law, that the e-retailers wouldn't have to pay the sales tax, it was because they were small start-ups and it was considered burdensome for them to have to do so. Now they're humongous. Companies like Amazon are huge." It's estimated that the proposed bill will raise more than $40 million a year in Vermont. Benedict says it's an important source of revenue.
Vermont Public Radio , July 19, 2010
Editorial: FairPoint
If you feel this is something of a "make up" call by the Vermont Public Service Department, you are not alone. But this means more than an NBA ref blowing a call on one end of the court and then giving the other team a beneficial call on the other end.
The case of FairPoint Communications´ bankruptcy filing is no game. Among many remarkable events in the last two-and-a-half years, which feels like 10, is that FairPoint made a deal with creditors to save it $1.7 billion in debt in exchange for creditor ownership of the company. It is hard to understand why the creditors would want it for so high a price, other than a complete failure would leave them out something on the order of $2.7 billion.
VermontBiz.com , July 19, 2010
Burlington, Vt., in Telecom Quagmire
When Burlington several years ago set out to build a municipal telecom network, it envisioned a self-sustaining system providing fiber-optic internet service to residents, business, and government in Vermont´s most populous city.
Since the city was precluded by state law from issuing municipal bonds for the project, it entered into an equipment-leasing agreement with creditors that it now wants to restructure as it struggles to repay the debt.
Burlington´s bond rating has suffered as a result, a lawsuit has been filed against the city, and its chief administrative officer and the lender could seize the system because it serves as collateral for the loan.
Burlington Telecom, the municipal telecom network owned by the city, in late June entered into a three-month forbearance period as it negotiates with lender CitiCapital to restructure its debt.
Bondbuyer.com , July 13, 2010
Gubernatorial candidates talk about the economy's weakest link
The economy is never fair. Every month, the parts of the state that will report among the highest unemployment rates, in goods times and bad, are predictable. In April, Newport reported a jobless rate of 9.7 percent, Springfield 8.4 percent. Compare those numbers with 6.7 percent for the state, 5.3 percent for the Burlington area and 4.5 percent for Hartford.
This week, we ask our gubernatorial candidates what they would do to help the economies in parts of Vermont that seem to perennially trail the rest of the state.
Burlington Free Press , July 13, 2010
Vermont Broadband Stimulated with $45.6 Million
The US Commerce Department recently announced that Vermont was awarded two broadband stimulus grants totaling $45,649,894 for "comprehensive community infrastructure". These awards should assure that Vermont achieves its e-state goal of going from broadband laggard to broadband leader. The projects will bring some benefits within a year; they'll be completed within three years. By that time, the ready availability of very highspeed broadband at reasonable prices should become a competitive plus for Vermont in attracting new residents and businesses and assuring that existing Vermonters and Vermont companies don't have to leave the state because of lack of cyber service.
These grants are for something called "middle mile" infrastructure in telecom jargon. Despite the jargon, this is infrastructure you care about and, arguably, what Vermont needs most. Here's why:
Fractals of Change , July 11, 2010
Vermont Libraries Included in Broadband Grant Award
The Department of Libraries is happy to confirm that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration yesterday awarded a $33.4 million grant to deploy a fiber optic network across the state of Vermont. The grant award will go to the Vermont Telecommunications Authority (VTA) as part of the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
This project, known as Vermont Fiber Link, is a public-private partnership between the VTA, Sovernet Communications, the Vermont Department of Libraries, the Vermont Department of Education, Vermont State Colleges, Vermont Law School, the Vermont Department of Public Safety, the Vermont Department of Information and Innovation, and the New England Telehealth Consortium. The network will be built, owned, and operated by Sovernet Communications.
The grant will make possible a new fiber optic backbone greater than 770 miles in length which will benefit Rutland, Bennington, Windham, Windsor, Orange, Washington, and Caledonia Counties. The fiber optic network will also directly serve more than 340 Community Anchor Institutions, including state government offices, schools, colleges, public libraries, health care facilities, and public safety towers.
VermontLibraries.org , July 02, 2010
Obama touts latest round of broadband stimulus
President Barack Obama on Friday cast the state of the economy in upbeat terms, declaring that it was headed in the right direction even as employers slashed payrolls last month for the first time in half a year as temporary census jobs ended.
The net job loss was driven by the expected end of 225,000 temporary census jobs. But private sector hiring was actually up by a total of 83,000 workers, a positive point emphasized by Obama. He noted that such private hiring was up for the sixth straight month, a turnaround from the first half year of 2009.
The unemployment rate dropped to 9.5 percent.
"We are headed in the right direction," he said. "We're not headed there fast enough for a lot of Americans. We're not headed there fast enough for me, either."
Addressing the millions who are finding the search for work difficult, Obama promised anew to do everything he could.
To that end, Obama announced the latest burst of taxpayer-financed stimulus spending, a nationwide project to expand broadband access in places with little or no reliable Internet service. The president said it would create 5,000 construction jobs in the short term and ultimately benefit "tens of millions" of people.
CEDmagazine.com , July 02, 2010
VT Gets $47 Million For Broadband
Two Vermont telecommunications groups are getting $47 million in federal stimulus money to build fiber optic networks. The money is the largest public investment in broadband infrastructure ever made in the state. It comes from a $7 billion investment in broadband infrastructure contained in the federal stimulus bill.
The Vermont Telecommunications Authority will get $33 million. VTA says they'll use the money to build Vermont Fiber Link, a state-wide fiber network that will increase bandwidth and reduce broadband costs for schools and state offices.
The Springfield-based Vermont Telephone Company will get nearly $14 million to create a fiber network for schools, colleges and public safety facilities.
And, New Hampshire has been awarded $44 million for their broad band initiatives. The money will go to the New Hampshire Network Now initiative at the University of New Hampshire. The university says the funds will create nearly 700 jobs and provide affordable internet access to 12,000 businesses and 700 community institutions.
Vermont Public Radio , July 02, 2010
Feds announce $47.1 million in broadband grants for Vermont
Two Vermont telecommunications organizations have been selected to receive $47.1 million in federal economic-recovery grants -- in what the state's congressional delegation and governor are calling "the largest public investment in broadband infrastructure ever made in Vermont."
The grants will be announced today, the White House said in a news release Thursday.
The Vermont Telecommunications Authority will receive $33.4 million in federal Recovery Act dollars to improve Vermont's broadband networks, the White House said. The Vermont Telephone Co. will receive $13.7 million, according to a statement from the offices of Sens. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.; Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt.; and the state's Republican governor, Jim Douglas.
The Vermont Telecommunications Authority grant will "directly create hundreds of jobs with its project to build a 790-mile fiber network," the White House said. The delegation added that the authority's funding will enable it to increase bandwidth and reduce broadband costs to state offices, health care institutions, schools and others.
Burlington Free Press , July 02, 2010
June
Vermont Fairpoint Regulators Show A Little Backbone – As Fairpoint attempts to wiggle out of Verizon deal conditions…
After missing their broadband expansion commitments completely, Fairpoint recently stated they wanted to weaken previous broadband expansion promises. Fairpoint's also now asking regulators to weaken their oversight of the company once they emerge from bankruptcy. Of course while looking to get out of merger conditions, Fairpoint's been busily lobbying to crush private/public efforts to improve broadband connectivity in New England. The Vermont Public Service Board appears poised to finally stand up to Fairpoint, refusing its reorganization plan, effectively saying they don't believe the carrier's being honest about projections:
In a 96-page order, the Vermont board said that "based upon the record before us, we cannot find that FairPoint has demonstrated the financial capability to meet its obligations under Vermont law and its (state license) as a telecommunications carrier." The board said the company's projections about its near-term future performance appeared to be too rosy, given recent history: "FairPoint has provided virtually no explanation as to why its projections are reasonable."
BestBroadband.biz , June 29, 2010
Vermont PSB rejects FairPoint bankruptcy plan
The Vermont Public Service Board rejected yesterday the Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring plan put forth by FairPoint Communciations. The board simply did not believe what it considered overly optimistic revenue projections. It also rejected the idea that previously agreed to broadband expansion should be put off another six months, that penalties incurred over service problems should be forgiven and that service quality had returned to a level close enough to what it was when Verizon owned the system.
The PSB´s order stated: "After careful consideration of FairPoint's requests, the Board concludes that FairPoint has not demonstrated that the approvals would promote the general good of the state. Specifically, based upon the record before us, we cannot find that FairPoint has demonstrated the financial capability to meet its obligations under Vermont law and its CPG (Certificate of Public Good) as a telecommunications carrier."
VermontBiz.com , June 29, 2010
Vt. board rejects FairPoint workout
The state Public Service Board on Monday rejected a plan by FairPoint Communications to work itself out of bankruptcy in part by delaying broadband deployments and skipping penalties for poor service that were to be paid to ratepayers.
The development Monday leaves the company's path unclear. Maine regulators last week approved FairPoint's plan for reorganization in that state. New Hampshire hasn't acted yet.
The North Carolina-based company, which took over the former Verizon Communications landline and Internet networks in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont in early 2009, declared bankruptcy in October.
In a 96-page order, the Vermont board said that "based upon the record before us, we cannot find that FairPoint has demonstrated the financial capability to meet its obligations under Vermont law and its (state license) as a telecommunications carrier."
Associated Press , June 29, 2010
FairPoint Reorganization: Vermont Denies Post-Bankruptcy Plans
Just days after regulators in Maine approved FairPoint Communications´ bankruptcy reorganization plan, Vermont´s Public Service Board has thrown a wrench into the works.
On Monday, the three-member board rejected FairPoint´s post-insolvency proposal on grounds that FairPoint remains financially unsound.
"FairPoint presented us with projections that it maintains show that the company can meet its financial obligations and will improve profitability over time," officials wrote in the June 28 order, which was sent to VON/xchange by an unnamed source before the document was publicly published.
"But FairPoint did not support the projections with evidence that showed the reasonableness of its assumptions about future costs and revenues," the members continued in the 96-page filing. "This is problematic since in several critical areas (operating expenses, local service revenue, broadband revenue, and access revenue), FairPoint's assumptions vary substantially from past performance. This variance was not adequately explained, and analysis of FairPoint's finances, assuming that FairPoint cannot significantly improve its performance in these areas, suggests that FairPoint will face financial difficulties in the future."
PhonePlusMag.com , June 28, 2010
White House seeks comment on trusted ID plan
The White House is seeking comment on a draft plan for establishing a trusted identity system online, with the goal of making Internet transactions more secure and convenient.
Howard Schmidt, the White House cybersecurity coordinator and special assistant to President Barack Obama, released a draft version of the National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace on Friday.
The plan calls for the federal government to work with private companies to create an Identity Ecosystem, an online environment "where individuals, organizations, services, and devices can trust each other because authoritative sources establish and authenticate their digital identities."
The Identity Ecosystem would allow Internet users to complete transactions with confidence, Schmidt said in a blog post on WhiteHouse.gov.
ComputerWorld , June 28, 2010
Broadband Availability to Expand
The Obama administration is seeking to nearly double the wireless communications spectrum available for commercial use over the next 10 years, an effort that could greatly enhance the ability of consumers to send and receive video and data with smartphones and other hand-held devices.
President Obama will sign a presidential memorandum on Monday that aims to make available for auction some 500 megahertz of spectrum that is now controlled by the federal government and private companies, administration officials said Sunday. Most of that would be designated for commercial use in mobile broadband and similar applications, though aspects of the plan will require Congressional approval.
New York Times , June 28, 2010
Broadband policy should favor quickest growth
If FairPoint can't meet its earlier commitment, the state should look for others who can.
Broadband Internet is more than a convenience or an asset to business. As Federal Communications Commissioner Michael Copps testified last week, it is also fast becoming a necessity.
Sustaining democracy will more and more mean providing near-universal access to the tools of communication, which are currently available to some citizens but not to others.
This imperative is driving Congress to consider a major overhaul of rural broadband policy, looking for ways the government can step in and do what the telecommunications industry has not been able to.
Maine Sunday Telegram , June 28, 2010
Bankruptcy could end for FairPoint
As the region´s telephone company awaits a decision by New Hampshire and neighboring states on its plan to get out of bankruptcy, it´s fair to say things are looking up for it – or at least looking less down.
Customer complaints about FairPoint service have declined sharply, almost back to the levels when Verizon owned the service.
Broadband expansion finally seems on track.
No obvious problems have shown up in bankruptcy court proceedings.
And TV appearances these days involve the company mascot in happy commercials rather than company officials at angry regulatory hearings.
On the other hand, FairPoint is hardly out of the woods it wandered into by buying Verizon´s service in New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine two years ago.
It´s still in bankruptcy and needs the OK of three states and the federal government to get out of it. The heart of its business, land-line telephone service, is still shrinking. And in the latest twist, it´s facing tens of millions of dollars in new costs from property taxes on its telephone poles.
Nashua Telegraph , June 21, 2010
Grants Awarded: Sustainable Broadband Adoption
List of all BTOP Sustainable Broadband Adoption grants announced to date. The title of each grant recipient is linked to an information page about that grant, including a link to all BTOP progress reports filed by the recipient to date.
NTIA , June 21, 2010
Chris Campbell & Denise Anthony on technology dependency
Many Vermonters muddled their way through Monday without internet service or the ability to make long distance phone calls. The outage was due to a failure in the telecommunications network company, Level 3. This is the third time in the past three weeks that the network has failed, including an outage of about a half hour Tuesday.
Chris Campbell is the Telecommunications Director for Vermont's Public Service Department. Denise Anthony is a Sociology Professor at Dartmouth College. They spoke with VPR's Jane Lindholm about how the state is responding to these issues and the broader implications for society as we all become more dependent on technology.
Vermont Public Radio , June 19, 2010
Fairpoint says Chapter 11 will leave company more “financially viable”
Let´s level the playing field: The Public Service Board held three days of hearings last month as it considers approval of FairPoint´s financial restructuring in Vermont. FairPoint and the Department of Public Service negotiated the settlement earlier this year and the Board´s approval will allow FairPoint to continue to move forward with plans to emerge from Chapter 11 reorganization in the early fall. The Maine and New Hampshire Public Utility Commissions also held similar hearings.
FairPoint should emerge from Chapter 11 as a financially viable and more competitive player in this ever-changing and dynamic industry. However, the industry and the state of Vermont must begin to rethink how to regulate telecommunications so that all providers compete fairly.
VTDigger.com , June 11, 2010
FairPoint urges less regulation
FairPoint Communications said this week that the company should be less regulated by Vermont officials once it emerges from bankruptcy restructuring, citing an unfair playing field with newer telecommunication companies.
FairPoint Communications hopes to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy by the end of the summer or early fall with $1.7 billion less debt, according to executives with the telephone company.
Mike Smith, the president of FairPoint's Vermont operations, said Wednesday it is time to begin talking with Vermont regulators about decreasing some of the requirements the state puts on traditional telecommunication companies.
"We're operating now in a highly competitive business environment," Smith said. "And the problem we are running up against is that we are competing against many companies that are not regulated by the state of Vermont."
Times Argus , June 11, 2010
Intrado and the State of Vermont Team to Deliver Statewide Advanced 9-1-1 Services Network
Intrado Inc., a subsidiary of West Corporation and the leading provider of 9-1-1 technology solutions, and the State of Vermont today announced a partnership to deploy a suite of new and advanced life-saving 9-1-1 services. These services will enhance the performance, reliability and capabilities of Vermont´s 9-1-1 emergency telephone system and help enable improved emergency response.
The new statewide advanced 9-1-1 system will be a next-generation, standards-based Internet Protocol (IP) network that allows the current 9-1-1 infrastructure to be upgraded and expands voice and data capabilities for emergency communications. The state-of-the-art network, utilizing advanced real-time routing methods, efficiently delivers calls through dynamic and redundant networks designed to accommodate emerging voice and data communications. The upgraded system also provides the foundation for the delivery of additional critical information and will assist Vermont´s emergency responders with capabilities to better respond to disaster situations.
SmartBrief , June 10, 2010
Vermont treasurer rejects Web monitoring
State Treasurer Jeb Spaulding announced Tuesday that his office will not monitor its employees' use of the Internet with controversial new software the rest of state government is implementing.
Spaulding, in a memo heralded by the state employees' union, said such monitoring of employees' computer use "undermines the trust we have developed and is, in fact, counter to the establishment of a productive work environment."
Spaulding said his employees' computers would be blocked from going to inappropriate sites, but their use of the Internet would not be monitored.
Spaulding has the authority to make that decision because he is an elected officer.
The website monitoring and filtering system, which gradually is being implemented throughout state government, has caused a stir with the state employees union and some lawmakers who tried to stop installation of the $120,000 system.
Burlington Free Press , June 09, 2010
Most Consumers Unaware of Broadband Speed
Most Americans have no idea how fast their home broadband connections are, but they are basically happy with the service, a new study finds.
The report, released Tuesday by the Federal Communications Commission, comes as the agency is considering requiring phone and cable companies to offer more information on the actual speed of Internet service, and is examining what sort of information Internet providers should give to help consumers compare services. Four out of five Internet subscribers don't know what broadband speed they are receiving at home, the FCC survey found. It also found that fewer women than men knew their home Internet speed, and consumers more than 50 years old knew less about their broadband service than younger Americans.
"It's a striking finding," said Joel Gurin, chief of the FCC's consumer and governmental affairs bureau. "The big issue here is knowing what you're paying for. People need to know if the advertised speed is the real speed that they're going to get."
Wall Street Journal , June 02, 2010
May
Area towns to get digital boost
The towns of Arlington and Sunderland have received grants from e-Vermont - a part of the Vermont Council on Rural Development - that will provide greater technical resources to the communities.
The grants will be responsible for a number of technological improvements, according to Gordon Woodrow, the chairman of the Sunderland School Board. Certain grades in Arlington - with the help of partner Digital Wish - will receive laptops for each of their students. The Martha Canfield Library - with the assitance of the Vermont Department of Libraries, another partner - will receive computer upgrades and e-services. The Burdett Commons is also expected to receive some upgrades and Woodrow said one idea is to outfit it as an e-learning center for community members interested in learning about new online technology. Woodrow also said that Vermont State Colleges - another partner - would be providing students with assistance through direct seminars on how to use the Internet effectively.
Manchester Journal , May 27, 2010
Allied Fiber launches ambitious plan for carrier-neutral network
Allied Fiber today announced an ambitious plan for creating a neutral nationwide dark fiber and co-location network.
The network is envisioned to have several unique features that could help address a range of telecom industry needs, said Hunter Newby, CEO of Allied Fiber. The two-year-old company´s plan calls for providing increased capacity for cell towers, enabling international carriers passing through the U.S. to avoid congested traffic exchange points, minimizing the distance between network access points and rural service providers, and creating new low-latency routes between New York and Chicago.
"What we´re doing has not been done before," Newby said.
One innovative aspect of the company´s plan is to install a long-haul fiber duct with 432 fibers next to a short-haul duct system with 216 fibers. Every 60 miles along the route Allied Fiber plans to install neutral co-location facilities.
Newby explained what would happen in the case of a rural carrier seeking connectivity to a high-speed data backbone. The carrier, he said, would "build a trench of the shortest distance possible to our short-haul duct and we will cut the duct and insert a hand-hold box and do a fusion splice between their local fiber and our short-haul fiber."
Connected Planet , May 27, 2010
Behind Verizon Wireless' 4G rural buildout plan
Cable industry execs are famous for referring to each other by their first names. But we don´t see that so much among the major telecom companies.
So when both of the people I talked to recently about Verizon´s plan to work with small rural telcos referred to Verizon Wireless´ CEO Lowell McAdam simply as "Lowell," I was intrigued.
The plan to partner with rural telcos in building out Verizon´s 4G wireless network was McAdam´s idea, Verizon spokesman Jeffrey Nelson told me. "Lowell is the visionary," he said. "This is a recognition that we co-exist with lots of small carriers. This is not the same kind of relationship that one of the major carriers used to have with affiliates. This will come with a long mutual roaming agreement as part of the contract. Both sides would know this is good for a long time."
Connected Planet , May 27, 2010
VTel broadband goals set for state
Even though we are now 10 years into the new millennium, residents across large swaths of the state still rely on dial-up Internet – or in some cases — have no access at all. However, the president of Vermont Telephone Company has plans that could, if the funding comes through, provide high-speed Internet access to the most far-flung mountain hollows.
VTel President J. Michel Guite is spearheading a campaign to make high-speed Internet access available to all residents, schools, and public safety and municipal organizations.
"We could be the first state to have 100 percent access to high-speed broadband Internet," Guite said last week from Dallas, where he was attending a conference on the very subject of Internet access. "It would be a good way to market the state and attract new businesses."
Rutland Herald , May 24, 2010
High speed broadband availability in Vermont
The Vermont Broadband Mapping Team has recently released 2009 data on High Speed Broadband Availability compiled from requests of all providers and major institutions in Vermont. From this data we created a map that presents a picture of internet access throughout the state and highlights the "unserved" and "underserved" communities in Vermont by Census Block. Not all providers indicated their speed. As of June 2009 there were 41 Vermont towns with less than 10 percent high speed broadband access and 20 of those towns that have no broadband coverage. While there are a large number of ´unserved´ and ´underserved´ areas throughout Vermont, it is estimated that of the 293,096 serviceable buildings, 79 percent have access to high speed broadband. High speed broadband access, in this case, is defined as a maximum advertised download speed of 3 Mbps or greater.
VTDigger.com , May 22, 2010
Vermont's DMV Express Surpasses 500,000 Online Vehicle Registration Renewals
Launched in March 2005, DMV Express is a multi-platform online service that allows Vermont citizens and businesses to perform motor vehicle transactions at any time. DMV Express processes nearly one-quarter of all annual vehicle registrations in Vermont. The service is available online at https://secure.vermont.gov/dmv/express, via IVR (phone), and at card swiper kiosks in six DMV branch offices across the state, including Burlington and Montpelier.
Additional online services provided to Vermont citizens and municipalities by the Vermont DMV include online license reinstatement and public searches for the Municipal Highways & Bridges Weight Limits service, both of which can be found at http://dmv.vermont.gov. These services were built for the DMV at no cost to Vermont taxpayers through a unique public-private partnership with Vermont Information Consortium, the eGovernment partner for the State of Vermont.
NewsBlaze , May 22, 2010
Vermont restaurants get personal with social media
In this world of friending, defriending and the "like" button, sharing food online is everywhere
There are foodies blogs and photo sites, comments on Facebook and reviews in the Twittersphere. Savvy local businesses, too, use networking tools to market themselves with the more casual, personal approach of social media. Patrons click quickly through menu specials, review their latest dining experience and see the scones their favorite baker just pulled fresh from the oven. Restaurant profile pages on Facebook are filled with useful details, such as hours, menus and contact information, as well as daily specials, tempting photos and interactions with customers. In short 140-character bursts, Twitter delivers daily specials, starts discussions and answers questions.
Burlington Free Press , May 22, 2010
High speed broadband availability in Vermont
The Vermont Broadband Mapping Team has recently released 2009 data on High Speed Broadband Availability compiled from requests of all providers and major institutions in Vermont. From this data we created a map that presents a picture of internet access throughout the state and highlights the "unserved" and "underserved" communities in Vermont by Census Block. Not all providers indicated their speed. As of June 2009 there were 41 Vermont towns with less than 10 percent high speed broadband access and 20 of those towns that have no broadband coverage. While there are a large number of ´unserved´ and ´underserved´ areas throughout Vermont, it is estimated that of the 293,096 serviceable buildings, 79 percent have access to high speed broadband. High speed broadband access, in this case, is defined as a maximum advertised download speed of 3 Mbps or greater.
VTDigger.com , May 21, 2010
Smartphones come to prepaid wireless market
The price of owning a smartphone is getting a lot cheaper thanks to some new aggressive plans from prepaid wireless companies.
Boost Mobile and MetroPCS have already been offering smartphones as part of their prepaid wireless plans. And over the next several months, other competitors, such as Leap Wireless' Cricket brand and Virgin Mobile will be adding smartphones to their lineups.
For years, the post-paid business model has dominated the U.S. cell phone market. Consumers signed lengthy contracts and wireless providers subsidized phones to the point where some handsets are even free. Meanwhile, the prepaid market in the U.S. was largely left to consumers who were young, price-sensitive, or considered credit risks. These customers paid for their cell phone service in advance and they bought the phones outright without any subsidy.
CNET , May 21, 2010
E-health and Web 2.0: The doctor will tweet you now
When Janel Wood's 9-year-old son recently began experiencing migraines, the working mother decided to try a new company health care program that allowed her to communicate with a doctor through videoconferencing, voice over IP, and instant messaging.
While her son was home for lunch, Wood logged onto a local medical practice's Web site and connected via videoconferencing and IM with the doctor on duty, who then reviewed her son's electronic medical record (EMR) online. The doctor sent Wood links to migraine articles and podcasts and prescribed more hydration for her son, which worked over time.
"I ended up bringing [my son] back to school before missing any classes, which he was kind of bummed about. It was so quick and efficient," Wood said.
ComputerWorld , May 21, 2010
Grand Isle awarded e-Vermont grant
Residents of the Champlain Is lands, traditionally isolated from the mainland, this month opted for e-connec tivity upgrades.
Grand Isle County is one of 12 relatively isolated areas that received grants to improve Internet applica tions in schools, municipal and civic networks and in commerce. The money is not used to bring broad brand to the community, rather it teaches residents to make better use of the In ternet.
It holds the promise of a great leap forward, said Ruth Wallman, executive di rector of the Lake Cham plain Islands Chamber of Commerce.
"Better Web-based mar keting for small businesses, making the Islands a desti nation for more small busi nesses — people are just eating it up," she said Wednesday.
Burlington Free Press , May 21, 2010
Why OPASTCO's National Broadband Plan challenge misses the mark
Just days after big telcos threatened decreased network investment as a result of proposed Net neutrality regulation, a small telco organization is threatening the same as a result of proposed Universal Service reforms.
I´ve followed the small telco market closely for many years, and I´m supportive of much of their agenda, particularly the need for a Universal Service program to help bring affordable communications services to areas that are the most costly to serve. And normally I find the Organization for the Promotion and Advancement of Small Telecommunications Companies to be a fine champion for small telcos. But perhaps spurred on by the arguments made by the telco giants about Net neutrality, I think OPASTCO went in the wrong direction with its release this week of the results of a survey of its members.
Connected Planet , May 21, 2010
e-Vermont grant to expand Internet in Bristol
Bristol is one of 12 towns in line to receive a slice of $3.8 million to strengthen Internet access in Vermont, and community leaders are hopeful the landfall "e-Vermont" grant could boost civic engagement and e-commerce while providing computers and Internet access to senior citizens and economically disadvantaged families.
The e-Vermont Community Broadband Project will arm a dozen towns across the state with digital tools and training to use the Internet to achieve goals ranging from job creation to school innovation. The 12 towns were chosen from more than 40 applicants, and e-Vermont will select another round of 12 participants in 2011.
"It´s the 21st century. We have to get with the flow here," said Gerrie Heuts, the coordinator at the Bristol Recreation Department and a member of the group that applied for the e-Vermont grant.
AddisonIndependent.com , May 21, 2010
VTel broadband goals set for state
Even though we are now 10 years into the new millennium, residents across large swaths of the state still rely on dial-up Internet – or in some cases - have no access at all. However, the president of Vermont Telephone Company has plans that could, if the funding comes through, provide high-speed Internet access to the most far-flung mountain hollows.
VTel President J. Michel Guite is spearheading a campaign to make high-speed Internet access available to all residents, schools, and public safety and municipal organizations.
"We could be the first state to have 100 percent access to high-speed broadband Internet," Guite said last week from Dallas, where he was attending a conference on the very subject of Internet access. "It would be a good way to market the state and attract new businesses."
Times Argus , May 20, 2010
Vermont's congressional delegation pushes for $219 million in broadband funding
The members of Vermont´s Congressional Delegation -- US Senator Patrick Leahy (D), US Senator Bernie Sanders (I) and US Representative Peter Welch (D) -- are urging the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the US Department of Commerce (DOC) to invest in Vermont´s broadband infrastructure. The lawmakers wrote to the agencies this week in support of the more than $219 million in broadband infrastructure applications submitted by Vermont companies and nonprofit organizations seeking Vermont´s share of $7.2 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act broadband infrastructure grants... Earlier this year, the agencies announced hundreds of millions in grants from an initial proposal solicitation, referred to as Round 1, including two NTIA grants for Vermont – a $1.2 million broadband mapping grant for the Vermont Center for Geographic Information, and a $2.5 million grant to the Vermont Council on Rural Development to help communities adopt broadband. The lawmakers commended the approval of those grants in their letter but expressed disappointment that Vermont has not yet received any funding for broadband infrastructure itself.
VermontBiz.com , May 17, 2010
First Batch of e-Vermont
12 Communities Selected to Pilot e-Vermont Project. A dozen rural communities across the state will receive digital tools and in-depth training as the initial participants in the new e-Vermont Community Broadband Project. The twelve will benefit from the expertise and resources of e-Vermont´s statewide partners as the local groups develop ways to take full advantage of the Internet for job creation, school innovation, providing social services, and increasing civic involvement.
The 2010 communities (selected from over 40 applicants) are Brighton, Bristol, Canaan, Cambridge, Grand Isle County, Ludlow, Middlesex, Newport, Poultney, Pownal, Sunderland/Arlington/Sandgate, and West Rutland.
FrontPorchForum.com , May 15, 2010
Mobile operators struggle with explosion in data usage
Users can expect mobile broadband to come with more controls and limits on data traffic, as well as new pricing schemes, says analyst. Mobile operators face a number of game-changing challenges, including an explosion in data usage, as handset vendors corner the market for applications. Plans to deal with these issues could prove to be a boon for users, but also stand a chance of annoying them.
It is clear operators are barely coping with huge increases in data traffic, and the situation is only going to get worse as waves of new smartphones and tablets appear, according to Shaun Collins, managing director at market research company CCS Insight.
InfoWorld , May 13, 2010
A Library in Your Pocket
In Vermont, it was easy to ignore the mobile computing craze until 2009. Before that, AT&T didn´t have a presence here, so we couldn´t purchase iPhones in the state. That all changed last year, and now, barely a day goes by that I don´t see someone checking e-mail, texting, or browsing the web on their iPhone. With the growth of the Android phone market, which uses a Google-based operating system, there are even more options for mobile computing that appeal to mainstream consumers.
Mobile devices are becoming difficult for libraries to ignore. In 2009, one-third of all Americans accessed the web through a cell phone or smartphone and 4.1 billion text messages were sent daily. The statistics are even higher in academia, with more than half of all undergraduates owning a mobile device that can access the internet and 94% sending and receiving text messages. In 2008, the Pew Internet and American Life Project estimated that by 2020, people will primarily connect to the internet through mobile devices.
AmericanLibrariesMagazine.org , May 13, 2010
Where capital-project funding would go
he House and Senate gave final approval Wednesday to a $71.8 million bonding package in bill H.790. Here are some of the ways that borrowed money would be spent: • $6.35 million for school construction projects.
• $5 million to the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board with priority for affordable housing and housing for the elderly, those with disabilities and at risk of being homeless.
• $4.7 million to design and submit permits for a state health laboratory at UVM Colchester research facility.
• $4.5 million to the Vermont Telecommunications Authority to extend cellular phone and broadband service to Vermonters now without service.
Burlington Free Press , May 13, 2010
Level 3 to Deliver Data Services to Colleges Throughout Vermont
Level 3 Communications, Inc. today announced that it has been selected as the prime provider of data Internet and wide area network (WAN) services for the entire Vermont State College (VSC) system, which has campuses in 17 areas throughout the Green Mountain State.
Under the contract, Level 3 will provide dedicated Internet access for all VSC system campuses as well as WAN services that will connect all campuses via dedicated and secure high-speed connections that can scale to meet the growing needs of the VSC system.
"We are committed to providing the tools that foster affordable, high-quality and accessible education, and Level 3's services are helping us support that mission," said Linda Hilton, chief information officer for VSC.
Market Watch , May 11, 2010
Ag's Jordan joins E-Vermont
Helen Labun Jordan has been selected as program director of e-Vermont, the Community Broadband Project. The new two-year initiative will help rural Vermont towns take advantage of the Internet to address a variety of local needs, including economic development, school innovation, job creation, downtown marketing, community engagement and e-commerce. The announcement came from Paul Costello, executive director of the Vermont Council on Rural Development and leader of the e-Vermont Partnership.
Jordan moves to e-Vermont after several years with the Vermont Agency of Agriculture.
Burlington Free Press , May 11, 2010
$11.2M grant to Vermont Electric Cooperative to broadband and smart grid networks
The Vermont Electric Cooperative will receive $11.2 million to boost the Northeast Kingdom's ability to attract businesses and create jobs by strengthening the electrical distribution network and advancing broadband and smart grid deployment. "This grant award provides VEC with the opportunity to improve reliability and expand the broadband infrastructure for Vermont's Northeast Kingdom," Dave Hallquist, CEO of Johnson-based electric utility, said in anews release issued by the U.S. Department of Commerce. "This project will make the region more attractive to new businesses, while strengthening the economic climate for existing businesses, like the furniture industry."
The project is expected to create more than 500 jobs, save more than 1,300 jobs and generate $27 million in private investment, according to grantee estimates.
Burlington Free Press , May 06, 2010
Study of Social Media Behavior Offers Connection Planning Insights for Healthcare Marketers
Want to connect with Americans who are most likely to seek and share health advice? Look to Facebook. But those who actually maintain the best health spend more time on sites like MSNBC and CoolSavings, while those who devote the least attention to their health favor sites like YouTube. These are among the findings of a new social media segmentation study by MicroMass Communications Inc., a world leader in behavioral marketing.
The study, combining original MicroMass research with national market data from the vast Simmons database, was undertaken to identify how and why U.S. adults use social media, explore their attitudes toward healthcare and medicine, and develop insights into the best ways of exchanging healthcare information via social media's expanding array of interactive options.
"Social media is still unexplored territory for most pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device marketers," said Alyson Connor, vice president and group director of strategic services at MicroMass. "This research gives marketers new insights into social media users and where and how to effectively engage with them."
WCAX TV , May 05, 2010
Service providers urge FCC to sidestep broadband reclassification
When the Supreme Court said the FCC overstepped its authority to regulate broadband in the recent Comcast decision, it threw into question the future of two key FCC initiatives—Net Neutrality, which service providers largely oppose and broadband Universal Service, which service providers largely favor. Since then, service providers have been fine tuning arguments aimed at demonstrating that the FCC does indeed have the authority to achieve the latter, but not necessarily the former. The resolution may hinge on the FCC´s ability to establish "ancillary authority" over broadband.
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The Comcast decision didn´t actually say the FCC had no authority over broadband. Instead, the Supreme Court upheld a lower court´s argument that the FCC failed to demonstrate that it had the authority to prevent Comcast from limiting certain types of Internet traffic—a move that the FCC made with the goal of enforcing one of its Net Neutrality principles.
Connected Planet , May 05, 2010
FairPoint hearings begin in northern New England
Regulatory hearings kicked off Wednesday in Maine on FairPoint Communications' reorganization plan as the company winds its way through the complex bankruptcy process.
The Maine Public Utilities Commission is holding two days of hearings on FairPoint's petition seeking PUC approval of its bankruptcy plan and modifications to the commission's 2008 order approving FairPoint's $2.3 billion purchase of Verizon's landline and Internet operations in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.
More hearings are set this month before regulators in New Hampshire and Vermont.
They're considered important steps as FairPoint works its way through its Chapter 11 bankruptcy plan filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York last October.
Boston.com , May 05, 2010
Power company to upgrade lines, expand broadband into ‘Kingdom’
The Vermont Electrical Cooperative (VEC) has received an $11.2 million grant from the Economic Development Administration to upgrade lines and increase access to broadband services across the Northeast Kingdom.
In addition to the Northeast Kingdom, VEC serves all of Grand Isle County and large portions of Franklin County, including Richford, Montgomery, Franklin, and Berkshire and portions of several other Franklin County communities.
The announcement was made this morning at the VEC headquarters here. U.S. Commerce Department Assistant Secretary John Fernandez was present for the awarding of the grant.
"This EDA grant will build a supportive environment for businesses investment, following the severe weather events of 2008, by improving the electrical distribution network to mitigate the economic impact of future events," said Fernandez.
SAMessenger.com , May 05, 2010
Could T-Mobile be wholesale customer for satellite LTE network?
The proposed nationwide satellite LTE network being funded by Harbinger Capital Partners could get a lift from rumored interest from T-Mobile USA in becoming a wholesale customer of the alternative 4G network. Harbinger revealed its plans last month and more recently recruited former Orange CEO Sanjiv Ahuja to head its operations. The idea behind the Harbinger network is to rapidly build out a 4G network that would be largely wholesale in nature, serving other mobile operators needing 4G network capacity, rather than delivering mobile data services directly to end customers. For T-Mobile, the Harbinger news follows similar rumors that it might tap Clearwire´s 4G Wimax-based network in much the same way. It might sound cut and dry, but for a major consumer operator to team up with Harbinger and its satellite operators isn´t as simple as it sounds. SkyTerra and Terrestar don´t have typical wireless licenses; they own satellite spectrum. New FCC rules allow them to build something called an ancillary terrestrial component (ATC), basically an earthbound broadband wireless network to complement their satellite coverage in denser areas. As we´ve pointed out before, any partner these companies recruit isn´t just signing up for an LTE network, but a combo satellite-LTE broadband network.
Connected Planet , May 05, 2010
The wait goes on
Vermonters have for years been impatiently waiting the arrival of broadband Internet and advanced wireless service to the state.
We hear only empty promises from the Douglas administration as the hope fades of seeing universal access to broadband in Vermont by the end of this year.
Twenty percent of Vermont still lacks access to high speed Internet, and the underfunded and understaffed Vermont Telecommunications Authority has seen constant turnover in its leadership positions over the past three years.
That´s a reflection of the difficulty of trying to achieve Gov. James Douglas´ vision of an "e-state" working with only $40 million.
It looks like the private sector will have to do the job. Over the past few weeks, the Reformer has had a chance to talk to two of the major players in Vermont´s broadband effort -- FairPoint Communications and AT&T -- and they have very different visions of how they will accomplish the task.
Brattleboro Reformer , May 05, 2010
FairPoint wants extension for broadband expansion
As it progresses with its financial reorganization, FairPoint Communications (FRCMQ.PK) is asking the Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to extend its deadline of the first phase of its broadband expansion plan.
During hearings to be held in Maine this week, FairPoint will ask the PUC to extend the deadline from April to December as well as reduce the number of broadband capable lines from 90 percent to 87 percent after the five-year expansion project ends. A key provision in gaining PUC approval to acquire Verizon's New England lines, FairPoint previously agreed to make broadband available to 83 percent of its lines two years after it wrapped the deal and 90 percent over five years.
FierceTelecom.com , May 05, 2010
Vermont Telecommunications Authority Awards $200k broadband grant to Cloud Alliance
The Vermont Telecommunications Authority (VTA) has awarded a $200,000 grant to Cloud Alliance, LLC to expand broadband in the towns of Woodbury, Hardwick, and Wolcott. Cloud Alliance, http://www.cloudalliance.com/, currently offers land-based, wireless broadband in Marshfield, Plainfield, East Montpelier, and Calais.
"This is an exciting day for Cloud Alliance as we take this opportunity to spread the company´s reach to help rural Vermonters demanding broadband access," said Michael Birnbaum, general manager of Cloud Alliance.
The network is expected to take eight to twelve months to deploy, as Cloud Alliance first obtains leases and permits for broadcast locations and then installs equipment. The network will offer access to high-speed Internet, with throughput ranging from one Mbps up to eight Mbps, to more than 2000 homes and businesses in the area. Greater bandwidth will be made available by special arrangement.
VTdigger.org , May 04, 2010
Fairpoint To Try And Weaken Verizon Deal Conditions
Given the company all but imploded after taking on Verizon's DSL and landline networks in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, Fairpoint Communications obviously found it difficult to meet the broadband expansion conditions attached to the deal. Fairpoint will be meeting with Maine regulators next week in part to try and get an extension of the first phase of their agreed-to expansion plan from April to December 2010. As part of their deal with Maine regulators, Fairpoint agreed to:
•Reduce the rate for basic home and business telephone service by more than $4 a month, for at least five years.
•Make high-speed Internet service available to 83 percent of all lines within two years, and 90 percent over five years.
•Freeze prices for current Verizon 768kbps DSL customers at $15 a month with a two-year contract and $18 with a one-year contract, for at least two years.
Fairpoint not only wants to push back the deadline, they want to reduce the percentage of lines they agreed would be capable of delivering DSL.
BroadBand Reports , May 03, 2010
Cable deregulation sparked broadband increase
Changes to public policy, like regulations, almost always have unintended consequences. Tracking down these accidental events are among the most interesting things we economists get to deal with. They are often quite controversial, such as a purported link between legalized abortion and a decline in the crime rate a generation later, or the link between gun ownership and lower crime rates to name two. They are sometimes surprisingly pleasant such as the decline in obesity rates due to proximity to Big Box grocery stores with their lower priced fruits and vegetables. My colleagues at the Digital Policy Institute have recently found just such a link that is worth writing about.
The Star Press , May 02, 2010
Dorset Select Board approves cell tower
The Dorset Select Board unanimously approved the bylaw passed onto them by the planning commission that would allow the construction of a cell tower in deer yards.
Town Manager Gaiotti said if no one appeals the decision the law would go into effect on May 18.
"As of that date any applications for cell towers would be allowed to be looked at in those deer yard areas," Gaiotti said. "We're hoping that this sends a clear message to these wireless companies that Dorset wants to bring in this service."
According to Gaiotti, all the public input that the select board took was positive.
The Vermont Telecommunications Authority (VTA) is currently assisting the town in conversations with wireless providers as well as with their current potential site at the intersection of Church Street and Dorset West Road.
"This was the specific site that we had honed in on at the town level that we thought would be the best possible location," said Gaiotti.
One of the providers and the VTA have each conducted a site visit of the proposed location, Gaiotti said.
Manchester Journal , May 01, 2010
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