VTA Awards Broadband Grant to Cloud Alliance

Montpelier — 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 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.

“The VTA is proud to support the efforts of Cloud Alliance, a locally owned business, to provide much-needed broadband services in these rural towns,” stated Christopher Campbell, incoming executive director of the VTA. “The wireless broadband service offered by Cloud Alliance has for years been instrumental in stretching high speed access further into our Vermont communities.”

The VTA was formed by the legislature in 2007 with a mission to bring broadband and cellular service to unserved and underserved areas of Vermont. The grant to Cloud Alliance was made possible through the Fiscal Year 2010 capital budget, and additional funding to further advance deployment appears likely in the coming fiscal year. Governor Douglas proposed over $8M in additional capital and stimulus funding for VTA-supported infrastructure projects.

“The Governor’s continued support recognizes the importance of increased investment in broadband as a driver for assisting Vermont’s recovery from the recession. We appreciate the broad-based support that broadband and cellular expansion has had from the Administration and legislative leaders in the state. We look forward to accelerating the rate of deployment in the coming year.” said Campbell.

In late 2004, seeing that neither national service providers nor government were enabling the deployment of broadband along the back roads of Vermont, local citizens formed Cloud Alliance. Facing the challenge of rural deployment with limited financing, the company’s reach has grown slowly but steadily. Now that there is general agreement that broadband is a critical utility that drives economic development, Cloud Alliance is poised to expand its mission.
The Central Vermont Economic Development Corporation is continuing its longstanding partnership with Cloud Alliance by providing key support for the project an equipment-leasing arrangement funded by the USDA.
“We’re gratified that the legislature has appropriated sufficient funds to the VTA so that our public-private partnerships can extend this essential service to more Vermonters,” added Birnbaum. “We’re proud of our continuing contribution. The future of rural Vermont depends on endeavors such as these.”