Commentary by Vermont State Representative Emily Carris Duncan
Originally published in The Brattleboro Reformer on April 2, 2026
Our region didn’t create a Communications Union District on a whim. We created it because for years, Consolidated Communications let dangerous conditions develop. Long repair times. Degraded copper lines. Phone service that didn’t work when people needed it most. And federal rules that tied the state’s hands and prevented them from requiring Consolidated to make real broadband investment.
So our communities stepped up.
DVFiber exists because, in Vermont fashion, communities came together to solve a problem the market would not. It is built by municipalities, governed as a municipality, and accountable to our community. In plain terms, it is your neighbors doing the work to make sure every home and business can connect safely and reliably. This community driven effort is working, delivering home grown communications to thousands of Vermontes across the state. Now Consolidated is overbuilding that local effort.
They are offering bargain-basement rates that look good in the short term. But we need to be honest about what’s happening. Consolidated is no longer a public company. It will almost certainly be sold again. These prices reflect their plan to eliminate competition and are clearly temporary. When local networks are weakened, communities lose leverage, choice, and long-term stability.
This is not about blocking competition. It is about fairness and follow-through.
The local CUD planned responsibly. It is building carefully. It counts on community participation to build a network that lasts for decades, not promotional cycles. When neighbors walk away now for short-term savings, the long-term costs don’t disappear. They land back on the community. Leading to the stagnant communication environment that prompted the creation of our CUDs in the first place. Supporting a CUD in Vermont empowers our community.
Universal service only works if we stick together.
Supporting your local CUD means investing in infrastructure that is accountable, resilient, and built for the long haul. It means choosing reliability over gimmicks. It means standing behind a system designed to serve everyone, not just the easiest addresses.
This is one of those moments where the strongest choice isn’t the cheapest one today, but the one that protects our community tomorrow.
State Rep. Emily Carris Duncan, D, represents the Windham 6 District towns of Wilmington, Whitingham and Halifax.