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VERMONT COMMUNITY BROADBAND BOARD GRANTEES TO TESTIFY BEFORE U.S. SENATE SUBCOMMITTEE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

 

May 16, 2023

 

VERMONT COMMUNITY BROADBAND BOARD GRANTEES TO TESTIFY BEFORE U.S. SENATE SUBCOMMITTEE

Montpelier, Vermont – NEK Broadband Executive Director Christa Shute and Waitsfield & Champlain Valley Telecom (WCVT) Vice President of Industry Relations Roger Nishi will testify on Wednesday, May 17, 2023, at 3:00 before the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; Subcommittee on Rural Development and Energy. The hearing is entitled, “Rural Broadband: Connecting our Communities to the Digital Economy.”

The United States Department of Agriculture has a series of important broadband programs  geared to the most rural areas of America where it is most costly to invest in broadband infrastructure. Truely high-speed internet is fundamental for effective participation in our nation’s economy, healthcare, education, personal job success, as well as access to federal and state services, the political process, and community engagement.

“NEK Broadband has successfully applied for and managed grants through USDA.  We are pleased to have this opportunity to share with members of the U.S. Senate both the ongoing importance of these programs and constructive suggestions from first-hand experience on how they can be improved for future rounds of funding.”  

“This is a testament to what we already know in Vermont. The people running our Communications Union Districts (CUDs) and their partners are nationally recognized experts and leaders in the industry. We’re lucky to have them working for us every day in Vermont,” said VCBB Executive Director Christine Hallquist.

VCBB has made grants of $8.3 million to WCVT and $20.9 to NEK Broadband. You can watch the testimony live at 3:00 Wednesday at Rural Broadband: Connecting our Communities | Senate Committee On Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry.

Contact: 

Herryn Herzog,

VCBB Communications & Outreach Coordinator

phone: (802) 522-3396 

email:

Vermont Department of Public Service 

112 State Street 

Montpelier, VT 05601-2601 

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NEK BROADBAND ANNOUNCES NEW HIRES

Northeast Kingdom, Vermont–NEK Broadband announced two new hires today:  Marc Hughes as the district’s Operations Project Manager, and Erik Townsend as the organization’s GIS Specialist and Project Manager. 

NEK Broadband is a Communications Union District (CUD) that includes every town in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, plus Wolcott. A community non-profit, the organization is working to bring reliable high-speed broadband to the region, and is planning to offer service in portions of 90% of its member towns by the end of 2024. The foundation, or “backbone” of this fiber-optic network is currently being built.

“Both Marc and Erik bring a high level of expertise to NEK Broadband,” said Executive Director Christa Shute. “Their decades of experience and perspective will be invaluable to the organization as we work to accelerate our delivery of high-speed internet to our communities.” 

Hughes spent nearly twenty-five years in Operations Management with Verizon Wireless and Unicel, serving states across the northeast.  An Army veteran and former E-3 Senior Airman in the 282nd Combat Communications Squadron, his technical training comes courtesy of the US Air Force Ground Radio School, and he brings over three decades of telecommunications experience to the organization. 

“I’m looking forward to bringing my skills to the NEK Broadband district,” said Hughes.  “I’m excited to work on bringing broadband to the underserved in the region.”

Erik Townsend comes to NEK Broadband with 15 years of GIS experience in the Natural Resources and Forestry professions, earning a Geographic Information Systems Professional Certification in 2015. As a native of the Northeast Kingdom, he is excited to be part of an organization whose mission is to help serve the community where he’s spent most of his life. Prior to becoming an employee, Erik was the district’s board member representing the town of Westmore where he is also a Lister, E911 Coordinator, and Tree Warden.

“I’m proud to be part of an organization bringing high-speed internet to the area,” said Townsend. “Bridging the digital divide is key to thriving rural communities, schools, and businesses.”

Residents of the Northeast Kingdom and Wolcott are encouraged to complete the form at get.nekbroadband.org to pre-order internet service and receive updates.

NOVEMBER 9, 2022 NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

The NEK Broadband CUD will hold public hearings on Tuesday, November 15, and Tuesday, November 22, 2022.  Both meetings will be held at 6:00 PM (EST) via Zoom. These hearings will be held for public review and comment on the Draft Annual Report and Proposed 2023 Budget in compliance with (30 V.S.A. Chapter 082, § 3075) of the Vermont Statutes for CUDs.