VCBB Executive Director Christine Hallquist discusses the new Hub. Courtesy photos.
New Community Technology Center Expands Digital Access, Remote Work, Telehealth, Education, and High-Speed Internet Opportunities in Rural Vermont
Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Community Broadband Board (VCBB) congratulates NEK Broadband on the opening of the Groton Connectivity HUB, a new community technology center designed to expand digital access and help residents take advantage of reliable high-speed internet, remote work opportunities, telehealth services, online education, and other digital resources.
Located at 1334 Scott Highway in Groton, the Connectivity HUB is part of a $2.85 million USDA Community Connect Grant awarded to NEK Broadband to bring fiber-optic broadband service to every currently unserved address in the town. The project combines broadband infrastructure deployment with a shared community space where residents can access technology, connect to high-speed internet, participate in virtual meetings, pursue educational opportunities, and receive digital support.
“Broadband is more than connecting homes and businesses. It’s connecting people to opportunity,” said VCBB Executive Director Christine Hallquist. “The Groton Connectivity HUB creates a space where residents can access the tools and resources they need to work remotely, pursue education, access healthcare, and fully participate in today’s digital world. It’s an excellent example of how broadband investments strengthen communities.”
The HUB includes shared workspace, meeting space, computer workstations, and a privacy pod for accessing telehealth, all with access to high-speed fiber internet. The facility is designed to support remote workers, students, entrepreneurs, job seekers, community organizations, telehealth users, and residents who may not otherwise have access to technology resources.
The Groton HUB is the first of its kind in the district. NEK Broadband is working to expand the program into other towns as part of its effort to bring more than connectivity to its 72-town district. “As a public, nonprofit community entity, all of our money goes back into either infrastructure, programming, or lowering prices,” said NEK Broadband Executive Director Christa Shute.
About NEK Broadband
NEK Broadband is a Communications Union District (CUD) which, together with CVFiber, serves 72 communities across the Northeast Kingdom and central Vermont. It works to provide affordable, reliable, high-speed fiber-optic broadband internet service to homes, businesses, and community institutions. As a community-governed, not-for-profit municipality, the CUD reinvests revenue into network expansion, maintenance, affordability programs, digital access initiatives, and long-term broadband sustainability.
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Vermont Business Magazine