Your Internet Service Is at Risk

A Message from the Vermont Team that has managed ECFiber’s Internet Network since inception

What’s Really Happening at ECFiber - Why You Should Be Concerned - and What You Can Do to Save Your Internet

The team behind your internet has been here from the start. Based in Vermont and originally part of ValleyNet, GWI staff have proudly served ECFiber since day one, delivering fast, reliable internet to the same communities they call home. Our dedicated Vermont staff have worked tirelessly to ensure continuity and excellence in service for communities across the region, and have done such a good job, we’ve been selected as a trusted partner for two other Vermont CUDs*.

But that reliable ECFiber service is now in jeopardy.

*CUDs (Communications Union Districts) are a unique type of municipal entity in Vermont formed when towns join together to build communications infrastructure—especially for broadband internet. CUDs are designed to bring high-speed, reliable internet to rural and underserved areas that private companies often ignore due to a lack of profitability.

What’s Going On?

Earlier this year, a handful of formerly volunteer ECFiber board members quietly made the decision to start their own startup company VISPO, organize it to exist outside of Vermont’s open meeting laws and award themselves ECFiber’s operating contract. From a presentation given to ECFiber in February:

A screenshot of a document titled 'RECOMMENDATIONS' offering two points: establishing a non-profit management entity and hiring an executive director and core staff, with a section highlighted in yellow about the applicability of Vermont's Open Meeting Law.

This decision was made:

  • Without a public request for proposals (RFP)

  • Without competitive bidding or public oversight

  • In apparent violation of ECFiber’s own conflict-of-interest and procurement policies

VISPO was created behind closed doors by a handful of former volunteer ECFiber board members—who now run the company.

No public budget has been released.

No plan has been shared.

No one voted for chaos and mismanagement.

Why This Matters

VISPO is just a few months old with:

  • No employees

  • No operational experience

  • No record of managing anything, much less a broadband network

And yet, ECFiber is handing over the operation of your internet service to this start-up.

In fact, S&P Global recently downgraded ECFiber’s credit outlook to “negative,” citing concerns about the transition and uncertainty over VISPO’s readiness.

This unnecessarily affects your internet viability, speed, reliability, service costs, and the long-term health of the network you depend on.

At best, it will materially raise borrowing costs for all CUDs across Vermont, setting back broadband expansion efforts statewide. At worst, it could make internet access for rural Vermonters entirely unaffordable.

This Is About Transparency and Trust

If ECFiber and VISPO believe their new arrangement is more cost-effective, ask them to prove it and provide a budget.. So far, there’s been no budget released, no explanation of how increased staffing with a new CEO and board stipends will reduce costs, and no opportunity for other qualified providers to compete fairly for the work.

Awarding a major contract without public input, oversight, or competition raises serious concerns.

Vermonters deserve a process that’s open, accountable, and focused on delivering the best value - not one driven by insiders behind closed doors for the benefit of a few former volunteers.

Public broadband should serve the public interest. That starts with transparency.

This Is About Experience, Investment, and Vermont Values

The team building and operating the ECFiber network today is the same one that’s been there since the beginning - they worked for ValleyNet and they now work at GWI. GWI has deepened that commitment by hiring even more Vermonters and investing significantly in both capital and human resources to support and expand ECFiber’s network.

The person managing ECFiber’s day-to-day operations lives in Thetford, Vermont. ECFiber says this is about keeping jobs local - but their actions tell a different story.

VISPO hired a CEO from North Carolina with a background in private equity and investment - not community broadband.

ECFiber’s public plans have been to try and hire GWI’s staff, rather than build their own.

Let’s be clear: This isn’t about geography. It’s about integrity, transparency, and the future of this network.

What You Can Do

Your internet network belongs to you!

ECFiber’s governing board is supposed to work for you. Not a handful of volunteers with their own agenda.

We believe in transparency, accountability, and competition because that’s how you get the best service at the best price.

If you share our concerns, here’s how you can help protect your internet:

  • 1) Contact your town’s ECFiber representatives: ecvtd.gov/member-towns

    • Ask them to:

      • Require VISPO to follow Vermont’s open meeting laws

      • Support a competitive RFP process to choose an experienced operator

      • Demand to see a VISPO budget.

  • 2) Spread the word: Share this page with friends, neighbors, and your local selectboard.