The Vermont Broadband Enhanced Learning Link (VT BELL) network is a Gigabit Ethernet to 10 Gigabit Ethernet fiber network designed to provide service to community anchor institutions in Vermont, New Hampshire, and New York.  VT BELL offers a mixture of a GigE wide area network, Internet I & II, and off-site data storage to K-12 schools, medical centers, institutions of higher education, public safety entities and other ciritcal facilities, including last mile providers.

For more information see the VT BELL section posted on the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) website.

June 2011 update, and a bit of history: When the VT BELL project was granted BTOP funding, it had several overlapping fiber routes with other BTOP awardees.  VTel, following federal guidance, and in an effort to eliminate wasteful spending of tax-payer dollars, spent several months working with other awardees and NTIA to remove duplicated routes.  This overlap removal process was completed in April and resulted in several miles of fiber routes being removed from the project, and some others being rerouted to avoid duplication.  VTel submitted these new routes for environmental and cultural review and, the week of June 6th, has received a Finding Of No Significant Impact (FONSI).  This is a very exciting development and the project is now moving quickly towards construction and deployment of service.