Our neighborhood in Guilford is beyond the terminus for cable, so we use Fairpoint DSL, which is, let’s say: better than dial-up. It looks as though a newish company called VTel is promoting itself as intending to cover all of Vermont with good broadband, via, as I understand it, a combination of fiber-optic and some wireless technology. They may be making progress on reaching our area. So I’m asking if anyone knows about them, or, possibly, uses their services? There have been some similar-sounding schemes lately that haven’t turned out well (see the Great Auk story in today’s Reformer.)
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An older story has some info
There was this great comparison chart and story a while back that might help. (There’s a link in that sentence…)
VTel has great speeds at reasonable prices, but at the time was limited to Springfield area residents. Expanding would be great news for broadband competition here.
Fairpoint Speed
Thanks, Chris, for re-referencing that good study from last summer. I see I was one of the commentators at that point, and have the same comment this time: That Fairpoint, promoted in that chart as “15 mbps” may be what the company promotes, & may be what people near Fairpoint’s central office or next to one of their fiber-optic terminals get, but for us, further out, a DECIMAL POINT needs to be added: 1.5 is about usual. On a good day or at a low-traffic hour it can APPROACH 3, but usually hovers at around 2.5. Today is a very slow day, & it’s been pretty wimpy for the last several days.
I’m glad to see the clarification that VTel is, as far as it’s been revealed on this site so far, anyway, is primarily in the Springfield area.
Their site gives the impression that they’re on the verge of serving all of Vermont, which I imagine they’d like to do.
Cheering them on...
Fairpoint has been raising our rates steadily for some time now. We called. No real explanation.
C’mon Vtel… you can do it. Expand down here! We’re a major hub!
VTel Wireless
I believe VTel has been in the Springfield area for some time, providing TV and phone service. The expansion that they’re doing is with VTel Wireless which is a 4G LTE network. They’ve been putting up new towers throughout Vt. I know at least one was installed in Guilford…on Barney Hill I think. Check out their web site at:
http://www.vtelwireless.com
There’s a section where you can put in your info to see if you would get service in your area.
VTel CLAIMS they serve my friend's dead-zone neighborhood...
But there seems to be no way of verifying what the quality/speed of their 4G signal is there! AT&T is barely 1 bar at a south-facing window there, and Verizon is no signal at all. Not sure I’d want to risk signing up for a monthly plan and router just on a gamble, not knowing where their tower(s) are relative to the location (Route 30 corridor).
Any readers in West Dummerston have VTel?
But I Thought...
Wasn’t this one of Shumlin’s campaign promises to cover the entire state in broadband and increase business?
Who...
Who is Shumlin?
An update from the original poster
Thanks to several on ibrattleboro for replying to my earlier query about VTel possibly providing internet service to Guilford. (I notice my query has the Most Read status tonight, beating out the usually hot topic of Brattleboro Selectboard Minutes!) I have had several replies from both this site and Front Porch Forum, where I also posted the query. Of particular interest is that a correspondent provided me with a link to a VtDigger article from last week about VTel. This story is actually, principally, about their failed plan to provide mobile phone service to some underserved areas, not about their internet (data) system, specifically, which, from several reports I got, is apparently working well for some folks in VTel’s home area of Springfield, VT. But the following is, nonetheless, a sobering account:
http://vtdigger.org/2016/03/13/valley-news-after-years-and-millions-vtels-wireless-promises-unfulfilled/
Vermont Telephone Company/VTel Wireless Services
Hello everyone,
My name is Jessica LaPatta and I am the Graphic Design and Digital Media Specialist at Vermont Telephone Company/VTel Wireless. A Brattleboro-area resident brought this conversation to our attention, and I’m writing here to answer the questions raised here and clarify our service offerings.
Vermont Telephone Company, Inc. – http://www.vermontel.com
Vermont Telephone Company (often just called VTel for short) is based in Springfield, VT and provides landline telephone, Internet, and video services to 14 Vermont towns. We are currently replacing the copper lines of this network with optical fiber, which transmit data at up to 1 Gbps (1,000 Mbps). The southernmost town in this network is Grafton, and unfortunately there are no plans to extend the range of this network—we are just upgrading the infrastructure of the existing area.
VTel Wireless – http://www.vtelwireless.com
VTel Wireless is our new sister company bringing 4G LTE Internet services to towns across the entire state. The aim of this network is to provide affordable and faster Internet to underserved areas of the state which otherwise only have access to slow DSL, expensive satellite Internet, or in some cases, no Internet at all. Parts of Brattleboro, Marlboro, Dummerston, Guilford, and other surrounding towns are served by this network. Here are a few links which may be of particular interest:
How VTel Wireless Works – http://www.vtelwireless.com/high-speed-internet/how-vtel-wireless-works
Currently Served Towns – http://www.vtelwireless.com/high-speed-internet/current-service-locations
About Our Plans – http://www.vtelwireless.com/shop/about-our-plans
The conversion of our landline services from copper to fiber optics, as well as our 4G LTE service, are both possible in part due to federal stimulus funding.
If you have any questions, our customer service representatives would be happy to help. You can contact Vermont Telephone Company at (802) 885-9000 or info@vermontel.com, and VTel Wireless at (802) 885-4444 or info@vtelwireless.com
Best regards,
Jessica LaPatta
Graphic Design and Digital Media Specialist
Vermont Telephone Company, Inc./VTel Wireless