We asked Northwest Fiberworx Executive Director Sean Kio to answer five questions about all things fiber. A project of the Northwest Vermont Communications Union District, Northwest Fiberworx’s mission is to create and ensure opportunity for all of the homes and businesses in their region of Northwestern Vermont by leveraging partnerships and procuring funding to deploy open access fiber networks to serve the area.
VETRO is proud to support Sean and his team as they work to bring better Broadband to our neighbors in Vermont. So let’s get to it!
Five Questions with Northwest Fiberworx
1. How did you get in the business of fiber internet?
In short, because of decades of poor service quality and availability. It led to the creation of the Communication Union Districts across the state, a grassroots community-led effort to solve broadband inequality. As awful as COVID is, it helped highlight the broadband gaps for thousands of Vermonters who suddenly relied on a quality home connection for work, school, health, and entertainment. What began as three communities seeking to solve their broadband issues in the summer of 2020 has grown to twenty-one communities across three counties.
2. So, what’s going on with NWCUD — any news, milestones, achievements – what’s coming up next?
Planning, planning, and more planning! Rural broadband is a challenge, and we have been seeking solutions to solve not only the unserved in our district but for everyone. We have successfully secured operational funds with support from the Vermont Community Broadband Board and have crafted a model to address the entire district with an FTTP build to every on-grid location without a fiber connection. We have attracted our first retail ISP, Google Fiber, seeking to be the first tenant of our open-access network. We are seeking vendor relationships over the next few months as we publish RFPs for Design & Construction Management, Construction, Material Suppliers, and Operations & Maintenance.
3. What plans/projects did you have in motion when you started shopping for fiber management software?
Just a concept. We knew our general direction, but we identified the importance of data management and ownership early.
4. Why did you choose VETRO?
"We felt that VETRO provided us with every tool we could need and more. It is a powerful and intuitive platform that works great for seasoned GIS professionals and those just learning data/mapping systems."
5. How do you use VETRO FiberMap?
Currently, we are importing our data, building layers, and segmenting our distribution areas. This is very helpful for validating build timelines and cost assumptions. When we begin construction this fall, we plan to use VETRO to manage our construction and capture our infrastructure from the ground up.
About VETRO, Inc.
VETRO builds software that makes it radically simpler and faster for broadband providers to plan, design, build, and operate their fiber optic networks. Our map-based SaaS platform is easier to use and more powerful than traditional tools, and enables network owners, operators and sponsors to benefit from a modern, integrated, and connected digital hub for their physical network assets. We deliver Internet Infrastructure Intelligence.
