ECFiber inks fiber-optic broadband agreement with VTA for Chelsea, Vershire, Thetford, Strafford and Sharon

East Central Vermont Fiber Network (ECFiber) has announced an agreement with the Vermont Telecommunications Authority (VTA) to use the VTA’s proposed Orange County Fiber Connector to provide fiber-optic service to customers in five ECFiber member towns. When completed, the Connector will start in Chelsea, arch east to Vershire, follow Rte. 113 to Thetford, then west along Rte. 132 to Strafford and Sharon. Construction is scheduled to begin October 1.

The VTA is leasing strands from the Connector to ECFiber enabling it to reach “last mile” customers both along the fiber route and on side roads off its path.  Funding for the project was made possible by a Legislative appropriation in the FY2012 Capital Budget. VTA provides discounts to entities committed to delivering fiber-optic service directly to residential and business customers, and ECFiber is taking advantage of this opportunity.

“We are pleased to have the VTA's help in extending ECFiber’s fiber-to-the-user network to several hundred additional civic, business and residential customers,” remarked Irv Thomae,  Vice Chairman of the ECFiber Governing Board. “Cheese-makers and software developers alike need last-mile broadband to reach twenty-first century markets,” Thomae added.  “This agreement helps us leverage the $1.3 million dollars ECFiber has raised from local investors this year to support economic development by bringing true “state of the art” broadband to some of Vermont’s most communications-deprived areas.” “We commend the Shumlin Administration’s commitment to bring broadband access to every Vermonter by the end of 2013,” said Loredo Sola, ECFiber's Chairman, “and we’re pleased to see the VTA embrace high-speed fiber as the technology of choice for the next generation of Internet connectivity.”

The 36-mile OCFC is currently being designed and built by Matrix Design Group, a leading fiber optic engineering and design firm. Matrix is the same organization that designed and is building the ECFiber network spanning 23 Vermont towns. 

South Royalton, Vermont - September 26, 2012 - ECFiber