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NEK Broadband, a leading provider of high-speed internet service in the Northeast Kingdom, joined Senator Welch (D-VT), a co-sponsor of the  ‘Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act of 2024’, and others in support of this bill.

The extension would provide $7 billion for the Affordable Connectivity Program. This effort is pivotal  to ensure affordable and reliable internet access is accessible to all. Without congressional intervention, the ACP’s current budget will be exhausted by the end of April amid rising demand for benefits.

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), championed by Senator Welch, is an urgent initiative designed to make broadband services more affordable for low-income households. NEK Broadband recognizes the importance of connectivity in today’s digital age and is committed to supporting this program to enhance accessibility to the internet for under-served communities.

“Access to affordable and reliable internet is crucial for education, telemedicine, job opportunities, and overall community development. By working together, we aim to make a meaningful impact in closing the digital divide and ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to thrive in the digital era,” said Christa Shute, CEO of NEK Broadband. “As the most rural Communications Union District in Vermont, including three of the four counties with the lowest per capita income” noted Shute, “reducing the cost of maintaining internet service is vital. This important act to extend the Affordable Connectivity Program will provide time to create more lasting solutions.”

“The ACP is critical for rural Vermont. Losing it would leave these Vermonters in digital darkness. These areas are not served today because it is too expensive, and existing providers would lose money. The cost to serve these rural areas is five times what it costs to serve existing areas. These areas also have significantly higher numbers of low-income families,” according to Christine Hallquist, Executive Director of the Vermont Community Broadband Board.

“Access to high-speed internet isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. And staying connected has never been more important, especially for rural communities here in Vermont,” said Sen. Welch. “It was great to speak with broadband leaders and community action agencies that have played a crucial role helping families take advantage of the Affordable Connectivity Program about the importance of extending this program, which has made broadband affordable for more than 25,000 Vermont households in just two years. We are grateful for the support and dedication of these agencies and leaders in helping Vermont families access high-speed internet. Folks in Vermont and across the country rely on a strong internet connection every day, and now they’re relying on Congress to pass the Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act.” 

This collaboration exemplifies the power of public-private partnerships in addressing critical issues such as digital inclusion. NEK Broadband looks forward to working closely with Senator Welch and other stakeholders to create meaningful and lasting impacts on the communities it serves.

NEK Broadband announced today that it has added its fiber optic internet service to parts of Danville, Kirby, Lyndon, St. Johnsbury, Walden and Wheelock. More than 700 new addresses are part of this latest expansion to underserved communities in the Northeast Kingdom, bringing the total addresses with service to over 2,100. New service has already begun in some towns and will continue to expand over the next few weeks. Local residents can find out if they are part of this expansion by going to https://get.nekbroadband.org/. Residents who do not have access can also pre-order service there.

High-speed internet via NEK Broadband is carried through fiber optic cable with speed levels from 50Mbps to a Gigabyte. There are no data caps and uploading is as fast as downloading. 

“Getting NEK Broadband was a real game changer for me and my life,” said Leann from Concord. “As a nurse, sometimes I need to do correspondence for my work at home. Before, I often had to go all the way to Littleton to get a secure connection – it was a nightmare. Now, with the reliability and speed of NEK Broadband’s internet service, I can stay home and do it. The best part was how seamless and amazing the installation was. The crew members were so kind and made sure all my questions were answered.”

“We’re so pleased to end 2023 by giving more residents of the NEK access to high-speed internet,” said Christa Shute, NEK Broadband’s Executive Director. “We plan to bring even more residents online in early 2024.”

Additional new service will be available in early 2024 to addresses in parts of the following towns:

• Barnet
• Burke
• Concord
• Danville
• East Haven
• Groton
• Hardwick
• Lunenburg
• Lyndon
• Peacham
• Ryegate
• Sutton
• Walden
• Waterford

People in NEK Broadband’s service area who would like to be notified when they will have access can sign up for updates at https://get.nekbroadband.org/.

These newly launched areas have been funded by federal grants through the Vermont Community Broadband Board.

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About NEK Broadband

NEK Broadband is a Communications Union District (CUD) representing every town in Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans counties, plus Wolcott in Lamoille County. We are a community-driven organization building public infrastructure to help ensure that every address that has existing electric utility service will have access to high-speed broadband service. As a municipality, we are a non-profit, so revenue from customers will go towards building and repairing infrastructure and increasing affordability for our residents.