Vermont takes rural broadband into its own hands under new law

Improving high-speed internet access is a top priority for the rural state, which is fighting the flight of its young people and wants to attract new business. Twenty-seven percent of Vermont lacks access to high-speed internet, which is defined by the Federal Communications Commission as a connection having a download speed of 25 Mbps and an upload speed of 3 Mbps. Seven percent of Vermont state residents, meanwhile, lack a connection meeting a much lower standard of 4 Mbps/1 Mbps, according to the state’s Department of Public Service.