Maple Broadband Completes Initial Build; Expands Service Area
For Immediate Release
April 23, 2024
Contact:
Ellie de Villiers, Executive Director
Maple Broadband
(802) 377-3721
Ellie@maplebroadband.net
Vergennes, Vermont – Maple Broadband has completed its initial build area and now offers high-speed fiber optic internet service across 143.5 miles, passing 1,647 households and businesses in portions of the towns of Cornwall, Orwell, Shoreham, Whiting, Salisbury, and Middlebury.
Maple Broadband has also begun to launch service in its Phase Two build area, which consists of portions of Vergennes, Ferrisburgh, Waltham, Monkton, and New Haven. This second build area consists of 68.0 miles and 1,468 passings. Service is now available in this area across 32.4 miles and 574 passings. The remaining Phase Two sections will be activated over the next several months.
“Building a network is just the beginning. It is very rewarding to be activating subscribers and providing the benefits of fiber internet to the residents of Addison County,” said Steve Huffaker, Chair of Maple Broadband. “We thank all the towns in our district that have contributed ARPA funds: Bridport, Cornwall, Ferrisburgh, Lincoln, Monkton, Panton, Ripton, Salisbury, Waltham, and Weybridge. The flexibility provided by these unrestricted funds has been very helpful to us in building the strongest business case possible.”
Over 200 Addison County customers are currently receiving fiber service from Maple Broadband. As the weather improves and the ground thaws, more customers will be connected via above-ground and buried service installations. Buried service installations are challenging to complete during the winter.
"Congratulations to Maple Broadband on reaching this important milestone. Congratulations also to the people who live in the Vergennes area who now have access to high-speed, reliable fiber broadband so that they can access all the educational, work, health care, social, and other opportunities that come from being connected," said Vermont Community Broadband Board Executive Director Christine Hallquist.
Service is also coming later this year to most remaining portions of Orwell. Maple Broadband is developing a financing plan to bring service to all remaining areas in Addison County where residents lack fiber-optic broadband. Maple Broadband plans to place a bid for grant funding as part of the federal Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, but that funding is not expected until 2025. “Our 2024 budget includes $3 million in debt, although that amount may change as we assess which areas continue to lack fiber service,” explains Maple Broadband Executive Director Ellie de Villiers. “This funding, combined with the ARPA funds provided by many of our member towns, will enable us to continue building later this year, and to bring service to areas that are not eligible to build with grant funding.”
Households and businesses in the Phase One and Phase Two towns, that are interested in signing up for Maple Broadband can explore service availability and sign up for service at get.maplebroadband.net, or by calling Customer Service at 877-496-2753.
About Maple Broadband: Maple Broadband is a Communications Union District (CUD) based in Addison County and is a local, community-governed internet service provider. Maple Broadband’s mission is to ensure that every on-grid address that it serves, in member towns, has access to high-speed fiber-optic broadband service supported by prompt, skilled, helpful customer service. CUDs are not-for-profit, municipal entities and cannot tax their member towns or the residents of those towns. A CUD must fund its network construction and operations through grants, loans, donations and subscriptions.
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