President Joe Biden signed his into law about three years ago.
And the funding that was included in that bill for broadband development has been very slow in coming.
鈥淭here have been so many delays at the federal level,鈥� said Christine Hallquist, 's executive director. 鈥淥ur original forecast was that, by now, we would have already been providing these grants.鈥�
which is a part of the infrastructure bill, has about $42 billion in it for states to build out high-speed broadband networks into areas where telecommunication companies have been reluctant to serve.
Vermont is supposed to get $229 million, and Hallquist said the state is just waiting for the feds to deliver the money.
But Hallquist said the election of Donald Trump has a lot of people across the country wondering about the future of the BEAD program.
鈥淭here are going to be some massive changes next year, and we don鈥檛 know what that鈥檚 going to do,鈥� Hallquist said. 鈥淲hether it鈥檚 saber rattling or not, you know, if the states don鈥檛 line up with the Trump agenda, will he withhold federal funds? So, we are in uncharted territory here.鈥�
There are going to be some massive changes next year, and we don鈥檛 know what that鈥檚 going to do. ... If the states don鈥檛 line up with the Trump agenda, will he withhold federal funds? So, we are in uncharted territory here.Christine Hallquist, Vermont Community Broadband Board executive director
Hallquist said just about everything is in place for the state to begin accepting applications for the funding, and then delivering the federal grants to the state鈥檚 communications union districts, or CUDs.
Vermont has gained national recognition for its program to , which are organizations made up of a groups of towns that are working together to string up high-speed fiber into mostly rural areas.
The state has already invested about $200 million, using mostly COVID-19 ARPA money, to get the project going.
And this next pile of federal BEAD money is supposed to allow the CUDs to continue their work.
But Trump鈥檚 nominee to lead the FCC, Brendan .
And Trump, while he was campaigning, said .
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Hallquist said she is leading her staff to make sure they are moving as quickly as possible, because when the federal money gets to Vermont, it can鈥檛 be taken back.
鈥淚t will take six or eight months for them to get their act together, so our goal is to be as disciplined as possible, and it鈥檚 more important than ever because we want to get under contract before anyone takes the money back,鈥� said Hallquist. 鈥淲e鈥檙e making sure we dot every 'I' and cross every 'T,' but that might not be enough.鈥�
鈥淰ermont鈥檚 historic BEAD investment is allocated and obligated鈥� I will continue to fight to ensure that money gets out the door to get families connected to high-speed, reliable internet," said Vermont Sen. Peter Welch. "Broadband is an issue I have worked across the aisle on, including with the next vice president, and I will keep fighting to ensure all rural communities are lifted out of digital darkness.鈥�
The CUDs are in a variety of different positions as far as their buildouts go.
Three CUDs 鈥� Lamoille Fibernet, Otter Creek and Southern Vermont communications union districts 鈥� are all mostly done with their projects, and they no longer need to use grant money to continue the work.
But the other six CUDs are counting on the federal BEAD money.
鈥淲e鈥檒l definitely be applying for BEAD funds,鈥� said Christa Shute, executive director of NEK Community Broadband, a CUD that serves 71 towns in northern and central Vermont. 鈥淭he BEAD money will be critical to finishing the project in the Northeast Kingdom and Central Vermont.鈥�
Our goal in our district, which has three of the four poorest counties in the state, is to get BEAD funding to cover as many of those addresses as possible and limit the borrowing we do.Christa Shute, NEK Community Broadband
The CUDs are counting on grants to make the cost as low as possible.
Many districts will have to bond to finish the work, because the grant money won鈥檛 cover it all.
Especially in the Northeast Kingdom, Shute said, every grant dollar that is invested in the project is one dollar that the CUD will not have to borrow.
鈥淔unding the project with grant funds enable the long-term affordability for residents,鈥� she said. 鈥淭o the degree that we are able to fund the project with grants, it will enable us to lower the price that customers pay. We鈥檙e essentially investing our public dollars in public infrastructure so that every dollar that we earn gets invested in the infrastructure, in reducing prices or in creating affordability and access programs for people in need.鈥�
Shute would not say how much BEAD money the CUD will request.
She said they have spent about $25 million so far, reaching about 8,000 homes, and the work in the district is about 20% completed.
鈥淲e believe that BEAD will be able to fund the most unserved and underserved areas. Our goal in our district, which has three of the four poorest counties in the state, is to get BEAD funding to cover as many of those addresses as possible and limit the borrowing we do,鈥� Shute said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e really proud to enable people to get educations that they couldn鈥檛 get before, to do telemedicine that they couldn鈥檛 access. It鈥檚 making a really huge difference in people鈥檚 lives in so many ways.鈥�
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