Andre Yoskowitz
28 Apr 2013 20:58
The Vermont Telephone Co. (VTel) has begun offering gigabit Internet for just $35 a month, undercutting the only other company that offers such fast speeds, Google.
VTel only has a footprint that covers 17,500 home in the state of Vermont, and the company says 600 homes have signed up.
CEO Michael Guite says he has made it his mission to upgrade the company's phone network to fiber. The company was founded in the 1890s.
Using $94 million in federal stimulus awards for broadband, the company has invested in 1200 miles of fiber.
Vtel is one of 700 rural telephone companies to make a similar switch, but their offering is the fastest. Google offers gigabit fiber in Austin, Texas and Kansas City, for $70 per month or for slightly more bundled with TV.