ECFiber service map.
Vermont Business Magazine Great Works Internet (GWI) today announced a legal victory in its ongoing dispute with the East Central Vermont Telecommunications District (commonly known as ECFiber). On September 23, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont denied ECFiber’s Emergency Motion to Enforce and Modify the Court’s Order of August 11, 2025.
ECFiber sought to remove GWI from network operations and immediately hand control over to Vermont ISP Operating Company (VISPO), a newly formed organization with no track record and no public budget. The court rejected this attempt, affirming that GWI remains the contracted operator of the ECFiber system through December 31, 2025, and that its staffing and operational decisions remain under GWI’s sole authority.
“Our customers in East Central Vermont continue to receive uninterrupted, high-quality service,” said Tom Cecere, President of GWI’s Northeast Division. “This ruling ensures continuity and stability for customers while underscoring that GWI, a trusted, experienced Internet Service Provider, is the operator through year’s end,” added Cecere. “We remain committed to serving the people of East Central Vermont with reliable internet access.”
ECFiber provides fiber internet service to about 10,000 customers in most of Orange County and some neighboring towns in Windsor and Addison counties.
FX Flinn, ECFiber chair, told VermontBiz: "GWI came apart at the seams on August 8th, terminating employees, stating the intention to cease operations in Vermont and to declare bankruptcy. It is all in the FCC filing at the heart of our request for a temporary restraining order predicated on our understanding of the contract that has been in place since 2016 and is expiring 12/31/2025. That contract, in our opinion, required GWI to inform us of its difficulties and to collaborate with the District in resolving them. Notwithstanding the judge's decision, we continue to expect GWI and its new owner to conform to the District's Transition Policy, which compels the District, which owns ECFiber, GWI, which manages ECFiber, and VISPO, which will manage ECFiber to work cooperatively on a smooth transition."
Herryn Herzog, the Communications, Strategy, and Policy Director for the Vermont Community Broadband Board, told VermontBiz: "This is one small piece of ongoing litigation between ECFiber and GWI which ultimately will be decided in the courts. We are confident that ECFiber’s network will continue to operate smoothly during its transition."
ECFiber, the internet service provider (ISP) created in 2008 by a grass-roots effort to solve the problem of broadband availability in rural Vermont, announced just in June that its new operator, the Vermont ISP Operating Company (VISPO), had named Gopi Sundaram as Chief Executive Officer. A judge in August allowed for the operator transition with conditions through the end of the year. ECFiber had sought to transition to the new operator immediately and not wait until January 1.
The ECFiber contracts with GWI to design, build, and operate the business. GWI was assigned the contract ECFiber had with ValleyNet, Inc. in late 2022, and all employees moved from being ValleyNet staff to being GWI staff. ECFiber has no employees; its board members and officers serve without compensation. The first 25-mile “proof of concept” network was built in 2011.
To support vital journalism, access our archives and get unique features like our award-winning profiles, Book of Lists & Business-to-Business Directory, subscribe HERE!
