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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Biden-Harris Administration Announces Vermont to Receive
Over $90 Million in American Rescue Plan Funds to Increase
Access to Affordable, High-Speed Internet
October 26, 2022

Vermont will use its funding through the Capital Projects Fund to connect nearly 14,000
homes and businesses to a�ordable, high-speed internet
WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced the approval of over
$90 million for broadband projects in the state of Vermont under the American Rescue
Planʼs Capital Projects Fund (CPF). Vermont will use its funding to connect nearly 14,000
homes and businesses to a�ordable, high-speed internet. The funding advances the BidenHarris Administrationʼs commitment to connect every American household to a�ordable,
reliable high-speed internet.
“The pandemic exposed longstanding challenges that workers and families face when they
donʼt have adequate access to the internet, especially those living in rural areas and other
unconnected communities. That is why the Biden-Harris Administrationʼs broadband
investments across the country are so critical,” said Deputy Secretary of the Treasury
Wally Adeyemo. “This funding through the American Rescue Plan will help provide
a�ordable, high-speed internet service to communities across Vermont, including the most
rural parts of the state. We commend Vermont for targeting this funding to places where it is
most urgently needed.”
“I am delighted about Treasuryʼs approval of Vermontʼs Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund
plan. The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically changed the definition of the modern-day
workplace,” said U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy. “Homes across the country transformed into
remote o�ices while work trips and in-person meetings became hour-long Zoom calls. These
past few years have only exacerbated the growing digital divide between urban and rural
America. That is one of the many reasons why Congress acted with the passage and
enactment of the American Rescue Plan Act. From Beecher Falls to Bennington, this
American Rescue Plan funding will increase equitable access to high-speed, quality internet

service in Vermont at an a�ordable cost. These funds will give the “last mile” rural
communities throughout Vermont the ability to stay connected with the digital, global
economy. As Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I am proud to have fought for
and secured a minimum allocation for the Capital Projects Fund to ensure that small, rural
states like Vermont have the resources they need to be connected to our ever-changing
world.”
“This is a historic investment in broadband infrastructure in Vermont,” said Representative
Peter Welch. “Broadband is essential and every community in our state needs access to
high-speed service. This support from the Capital Projects Fund will help us finally get there
by expanding broadband throughout Vermont, helping businesses thrive, students learn,
and Vermonters stay connected. I am pleased to have worked alongside Senators Leahy and
Sanders to bring this funding back to Vermont to close the digital divide and help rural
America succeed.”
Treasury today approved $90 million for broadband infrastructure, which Vermont estimates
will connect 13,818 households and businesses – representing 22% of locations still lacking
high-speed internet access. Vermontʼs award will fund the Vermont Community Broadband
Construction Grant Program, a formula grant program that provides funding to communities
for the construction of locally defined and prioritized broadband infrastructure projects
through a system of regional Communication Union Districts (CUDs). The total funding
amount allocated for each CUD was determined based on the percentage of road segments
without existing access to high-speed wireline facilities. The Broadband Construction Grant
Program is designed to provide internet service with speeds of 100/100 Mbps symmetrical to
households and businesses upon project completion. The plan submitted to Treasury that is
being approved today represents 80% of the stateʼs total allocation under the CPF program.
Vermont submitted plans for the remainder of their CPF funds and these plans are currently
under review by Treasury.
The CPF provides $10 billion to states, territories, freely associated states, and Tribal
governments to fund critical capital projects that enable work, education, and health
monitoring in response to the public health emergency. In addition to the $10 billion
provided by the CPF, many governments are using a portion of their State and Local Fiscal
Recovery Funds (SLFRF) toward meeting the Biden-Harris Administrationʼs goal of

connecting every American household to a�ordable, reliable high-speed internet. Together,
these American Rescue Plan programs and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law are working in
tandem to close the digital divide – deploying high-speed internet to those without access
today and lowering costs for those who cannot a�ord it.
In accordance with Treasuryʼs guidance, each stateʼs plan requires service providers to
participate in the Federal Communications Commissionʼs (FCC) new A�ordable Connectivity
Program (ACP). The ACP helps ensure that households can a�ord the high-speed internet
they need for work, school, healthcare, and more by providing a discount of up to $30 per
month (or up to $75 per eligible household on Tribal lands). Experts estimate that nearly 40%
of U.S. households are eligible for the program.
To further lower costs, President Biden and Vice President Harris announced the
Administration had secured commitments from 20 leading internet service providers
—covering more than 80% of the U.S. population—to o�er all ACP-eligible households highspeed, high-quality internet plans for no more than $30 per month. As a result, ACP-eligible
households can receive internet access at no cost and can check their eligibility for free
internet and sign up at GetInternet.gov.
In addition to requiring funding recipients to participate in the ACP, Treasuryʼs guidance
requires recipients to consider whether the federally funded networks will be a�ordable to
the target markets in their service areas and encourages recipients to require that a federally
funded project o�er at least one low-cost option at speeds that are su�icient for a household
with multiple users.
Treasury announced state awards in June, July, August, September, and October, and will
continue approving state and Tribal plans on a rolling basis.

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