NEK Community Broadband, operating as NEKCV, NEK Broadband and CVFiber, has been awarded federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) funding to expand high-speed internet across the Northeast Kingdom and Central Vermont. The grant will extend fiber-optic service along more than 1,400 miles of roadway, connecting 7,441 unserved and underserved addresses in the district's 72-town coverage area.
NEKCV Executive Director Christa Shute called the award a “generational opportunity to achieve universal broadband access.” She credited work that began after the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, along with support from the Vermont Legislature, the governor, the state's Congressional delegation, and more than 130 volunteers on the district’s board.
The project is expected to be completed within four years. NEKCV said it will then have reached all 24,000 addresses in its territory that previously lacked high-speed connectivity. The network will be publicly owned and controlled by the communications union district, with any profits reinvested locally.
“The impact of this award is nothing short of transformative,” said Nicolas Anzalone, NEKCV Executive Committee Chair. He noted the project will create local jobs and public infrastructure while supporting education, healthcare, and economic development.
NEKCV plans to deploy more than 3,000 miles of fiber-optic cable by 2029. The district has been hiring in-district employees and supporting a workforce training program in preparation for the buildout.
Photo: Karlee Heck via Pexels. Photo is illustrative and not from the scene.
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