DERBY — Derby and Holland are the latest Northeast Kingdom communities to gain access to high-speed fiber internet and home telephone service through NEK Broadband.
The eastern portion of Derby now has service, with additional areas under construction. In Holland, where residents have lacked telephone and internet upgrades for decades, 75 percent of addresses now have access to speeds up to 2 gigabits per second for both uploads and downloads through NEK Broadband’s Ultra service tier.
The remaining locations in Holland with electric utility connections are expected to have access by the end of the year.
A U.S. Department of Agriculture ReConnect Grant is funding the construction of fiber optic lines and network equipment across all of Essex County, with a goal of completing service availability there by the end of 2026.
Most locations in the Derby and Holland expansion areas previously had only slow speeds over aging copper lines, according to NEK Broadband.
The organization is also offering free pole-to-home and underground conduit installations for eligible locations through its Zero-cost Internet Install Program.
The program is funded through the USDA ReConnect grant and additional funding from the Vermont Community Broadband Board’s American Rescue Plan Act allocation.
