Connected Greensboro & Community Broadband Survey

By John C. Stone III

Connected Greensboro & Community Broadband Survey

The “Connected Greensboro” task force is one of four local task forces which have come together in recent months through the help and guidance of the Vermont Council on Rural Development and the Vermont Community Foundation. The task force seeks to achieve maximum broadband and mobile/cellular coverage and connectivity at affordable prices for full and part-time residents of Greensboro.

We are exploring broadband providers and solutions including fiber and hybrid networks to maximize coverage and connectivity. Later in 2020, we plan to expand activities to evaluate area mobile/cellular coverage providers, issues and challenges.

An important initiative the task force has been working on in recent months is organizing Greensboro to join the NEK Community Broadband Communication Union District (CUD). CUD membership can further our efforts to bring high-speed internet access, commonly called “broadband” to every 911 address.  Membership in the CUD poses no financial risk to the Town of Greensboro or to its taxpayers, and CUD member towns can benefit from working collectively to seek funding through the State of Vermont, the federal government and revenue-based securities to deploy broadband infrastructure in the region. While it will still take time to realize an affordable broadband solution in Greensboro, the CUD offers us a powerful opportunity to accelerate these efforts.

Good news! At town meeting, Greensboro, along with towns across the Northeast Kingdom, voted to join the NEK CUD!  Carol Fairbank led this effort on behalf of our committee. Please express your appreciation to Carol and other members of the Connected Greensboro Committee!! The next step is for each town’s selectboard is to appoint a resident to the CUD board. The CUD Board will hold its first meeting on May 12th.

We want to hear from you. Please complete the following survey (one per household please) to help us understand what qualities are most important to our community. Connectivity? Speed? Reliability? Cost? Affordable broadband coverage and connectivity is vital to Greensboro’s economic sustainability, safety and quality of life.

Committee members include: Carol Fairbank, Pal Bickford, Fred Mann, Dave Stoner, Mary Metcalf, Joan Feffer, Ken Johnston, Stew Arnold, Michael Hoffman and John Stone (Chair).

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