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23 Oct

Woodstock Library “Gets It On” With Fiber!

Posted October 23, 2012 by Julia Carlisle in Vermont.

A Press Release from our friend, Woodstock EC Representative Dave Brown,  from the East-Central Vermont Community Fiber Network, the group already providing fiber-optic internet connectivity to some homes in Barnard and other nearby towns, but, up to this point, not to Woodstock:
ECFiber today announced an agreement with the Norman Williams Public Library to locate a fiber-optic hub inside the library’s building in downtown Woodstock. In exchange for a 25-year co-location lease, ECFiber will provision the library with gigabit fiber-optic service and a 20Mbps symmetrical connection to the Internet.

ECFiber is a community-owned, subscriber-funded high speed data network dedicated to providing fast fiber-optic Internet service to every resident, business, and institution in its 23 member towns. The town of Woodstock voted to join ECFiber on March 3, 2008.

When announcing the agreement, David Brown, Woodstock’s delegate to the ECFiber Governing Board commented “The ECFiber network is expanding rapidly from its headquarters in South Royalton. We now have over 300 subscribers. In order to bring the service to Woodstock, we needed a secure location in the central business district to house some key equipment. The Norman Williams Public Library is the perfect site for such an installation.”

When the ECFiber network is turned up in Woodstock, the Library will be the town’s first subscriber. “We can’t wait to have ECFiber service available to the Library,” noted Jennifer Belton, the library’s Executive Director. “My vision for the Norman Williams Public Library is that of a vibrant forward-thinking community for personal development, education, and inspiration. The technology we need to deliver critical services to our community depends on a fast, symmetrical connection to the Internet.” she added.

In addition to providing online research facilities, the Norman Williams Public Library plans to offer collaborative learning, interactive television, and streaming video programming to its members. “Our Library is reaching out to provide services not available elsewhere. We’re unfolding a new mission for our institution. We’re no longer a book museum,” Belton added.

Once the ECFiber hub is operating in the library, fiber-optic service can be easily extended to every business in the central district.

Ultimately, ECFiber plans to provide high-speed fiber-optic Internet service to every residence, institution, and business in Woodstock

One response to this post.

  1. Rob Callahan, Director of Technology - WCSU's avatar

    Posted by Rob Callahan, Director of Technology - WCSU on October 24, 2012 at 08:49

    Great News !!! … the Library and the village will surely benefit from this relationship.

    What path/route is EC fiber taking from it’s current closest points of it’s network? Stage Road from Line Pond Road or down Rt 12 from Barnard School? … the Stage Road appears best….it passes more residences, businesses, and a school…

    Thank you for planning to get to Woodstock! ..Pomfret appears to be benefitting as well !!! Good Luck !

    Like

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