Reproduced below is Governor Douglas' vision for broadband and wireless. The full plan can be found here
Finally, a governor has put some specifics and dates behind the usually broadly worded statement about better Telecom for rural Vermont. President Bush announced a similar broadband goal for the nation on the same day last week.
Now, let's see if the political will and the investment dollars form the providers can match this stake in the ground.
Governor Douglas has done exactly the right thing. Permit reform is critical for the wireless portion of this. Let's see if Vermont has the capacity to step up to the challenge.
Good move, Jim.
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"Connecting Vermont
To borrow a classic line in the Paul Newman movie "Cool Hand Luke," Vermont suffers from "a failure to communicate" with the rest of the world.
But Gov. Jim Douglas has a plan. By the end of the decade he wants Vermont to be fully wired and wirelessed so the state can take full advantage of the ongoing revolution in telecommunications.
The governor last week unveiled a 10-year plan to extend the reach of high-speed Internet connections to every part of Vermont. "A modern telecommunications system is vital if Vermont is to create and retain jobs," Douglas said.
For those not fluent in tech-speak, some definitions are in order. Broadband systems access the Internet through traditional cable or other hard-wired technology. Wireless refers to going on-line through cellular telephones, satellites or other technologies.
The governor wants more of each system in Vermont. His goal is to expand broadband capabilities to 90 percent of the state's residences and businesses and ensure reliable wireless coverage along the state's major highways, including Interstates 89 and 91, and U.S. 7 by 2007.
Fully tying Vermont to the Internet and expanding cell phone networks could prove costly and controversial. Although no precise estimates are available, the governor's plan would cost millions of dollars and could require state tax breaks and other incentives. Siting and zoning issues for a major expansion of cell towers and other equipment are almost certain to draw considerable debate.
Indeed, how Vermont might look -- whether the state's natural beauty would be damaged -- with more cell towers is a central question in Douglas' proposal.
Currently, wireless covers only about 65 percent of the state's larger roads; broadband is available to about 75 percent of the state's population. Under a recent agreement with the Public Service Board, Adelphia plans to lay down at least 1,412 additional miles of cable by Dec. 31, 2009. The company now has 3,473 miles of cable service in the state.
Due to low density of population and the state's rugged landscape, Vermont will need a combination of cable and wireless service to ensure universal Internet access.
The best comparison may be the effort in the 1930s to bring electrical power to rural America. That program dramatically improved conditions in rural areas in Vermont and other states, making it possible for many small towns and farms to remain viable places to live.
Many of the same factors apply today to communications technologies. Without reliable connections, much of rural Vermont could become increasingly isolated from the rest of the world and fail to benefit from the new economic opportunities the Internet presents.
Broadband and other technologies, however, could help revitalize many communities by enabling people to live in rural areas and still be tied to their employers or do business with clients around the world. Efficient Internet links can also help minimize any feelings among rural Vermonters of being left out of the cultural mainstream.
The new communications technologies present amazing new possibilities. But to fully participate in the emerging Internet-driven world, Vermont must get connected."
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