Vermont Telephone Company Launches Gigabit Internet, Charges Half What Google Demands

The Vermont Telephone Company, also known as VTel, has launched a gigabit internet service that is half the price of Google’s equally fast platform.

Vtel began offering the fiber-based internet connection on Monday, and its pricing plan has raised more than a few eyebrows.

The company used $94 million in stimulus money to help build the network, which required nearly 1,200 miles of fiber cable around several Vermont counties over the last year. The internet service could be offered for up to 17,500 homes in the area, but so far only 600 customers have signed up for the service.

The cost of gigabit internet service? How does $35 per month sound. In comparison, I pay $70 a month for Mediacom service, which only delivers 15Mbps speeds. Even then I’m lucky to receive my promised speeds 10 percent of the time.

Google Internet currently operates in more dense areas including Austin, Provo, and Kansas City. It appears that providing rural service was unique enough for VTel to receive stimulus cash for the build. VTel was actually denied stimulus cash at first but reapplied after Google announced plans for a gigabit internet service of its very own. According to VTel CEO Michael Guite, “Google has really given us more encouragement.”

AT&T Wireless is currently building out its own Gigabit ethernet service in Austin, Texas. Oddly enough, Time Warner and Comcast, both also located in the Austin area, have not yet responded to Google and AT&T Wireless’ high-speed data networks.

With customers demanding faster internet connections for their growing number of devices and online activities, it is only a matter of time before we see the rapid expansion of high speed internet service.

Are you willing to switch over to a new fiber provider if they can give you gigabit internet at a fraction of current broadband costs?