In 2014, Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom (WCVT) (Waitsfield, Vt.) earned a Showcase Award in the NTCA Smart Rural Community (SRC) program. In 2015, WCVT secured an SRC Collaboration Challenge grant, which matched community funding for a free downtown Wi-Fi network. Kurt Gruendling, WCVT Vice President of Marketing and Business Development, shares with New Edge the inspiration for the network and how it has changed WCVT and its communities. A map of all SRC award companies can be found here.
NE: What sparked the idea to create a free downtown Wi-Fi network?
KG: We saw an opportunity to expand high-speed access outside the home. Our high-speed service to residential and commercial customers is great, but we wanted to extend the mobility outside of the home and enhance the perceived value of our services by offering a community Wi-Fi
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