Without VEDA’s support, we wouldn’t have been able to secure the USDA funding, which would have stopped our work in its tracks,” Shute said. “This partnership allows us to continue our work to reach the most remote parts of our district and ensure equitable and affordable access to high-speed internet across our region.
Christa Shute
NEK Broadband is on a mission to bring high-speed internet to some of Vermont’s most underserved communities.
Established in May 2020 under the state’s communications union district legislation, NEK Broadband’s district covers 2,054 square miles, serving 56 towns across Essex, Caledonia and Orleans counties, plus Wolcott in Lamoille County.
The district includes four of Vermont’s lowest median-income counties, accounting for 30 percent of the state’s unserved roadways and 40 percent of unserved premises, highlighting the critical need for its services.
To complete its mission, NEK Broadband, led by executive director Christa Shute, plans to install 2,600 miles of fiber-optic cable, ensuring all unserved and underserved areas in the district have access to affordable, reliable, high-speed internet.
Shute and her team have made significant progress in the past four years.
Partnerships with Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom enable them to bring residents 1 gigabyte of internet and telephone services.
More than 200 miles of fiber-optic cable have been laid, and another 170 miles have been acquired from other entities.
It currently provides service access to over 2,300 homes and businesses, and counts nearly 300 customers in the district. It has established a workforce development program to ensure people who want to live and work in the Northeast Kingdom have opportunities to do so.
However, funding a project of this scale in just five years is no small feat.
In 2022, the organization applied for a grant through the USDA Rural Utilities Service ReConnect program. NEK Broadband needed to find a matching loan to secure that funding.
Upon speaking with USDA officials, Shute sought assistance from VEDA.
With guidance from VEDA’s loan officer, Sam Buckley, Shute closed the funding gap and secured the $17.5 million USDA grant.
“Without VEDA’s support, we wouldn’t have been able to secure the USDA funding, which would have stopped our work in its tracks,” Shute said. “This partnership allows us to continue our work to reach the most remote parts of our district and ensure equitable and affordable access to high-speed internet across our region.”
As NEK Broadband continues to build its network backbone, it remains focused on its goal of delivering high-speed broadband to every corner of its district.
“It’s like the rural electrification of the past,” she said. “We are laying the groundwork for a connected future, ensuring that no one is left behind in the digital age.”
With a dedicated team, strong partnerships, and solid financial backing, NEK Broadband is transforming the digital landscape of Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, bringing essential internet services to those who need them most.
Read the story on VTDigger here: NEK Broadband: Bridging the digital divide.