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House committee hears state officials on Vermont cell‑coverage gaps, will review 10‑year telecom plan
Summary
State telecommunications officials told the House Committee on Energy and Digital Infrastructure that gaps in cell coverage and reliance on smartphones for internet access create public‑safety and equity concerns; the committee agreed to receive and review the state's 10‑year telecommunications plan and schedule a follow-up briefing.
Members of the Vermont House Committee on Energy and Digital Infrastructure heard testimony from Department of Public Service officials that gaps in cellular coverage are creating public‑safety and equity problems and that remedies will require partnerships among public, quasi‑public and private entities.
Department of Public Service Commissioner Carrick Johnson and Hunter Thompson, director of telecommunications at Connectivity for the Department of Public Service, briefed the committee on how increasing smartphone dependence and remaining coverage gaps leave some Vermonters cut off from essential services. "Cell phone ownership was from about 35% to 85%...so in the past 10 years, we had a 50% jump," Thompson said, citing national Pew Research data to show the shift toward mobile reliance.
The Department highlighted several consequences. Thompson said many people rely on smartphones as their primary internet access: "If you live in a space where you don't have smartphone access, you can't be part of that percent." He told lawmakers that students who lacked home internet during COVID missed substantial classroom time, that people in medically assisted recovery often receive appointment and test notifications by text, and that motorists in places such as the Roxbury Gap can be unable to call for help after accidents.
Committee members pressed staff on how coverage expansions would be built and funded. Thompson said the state's approach envisions public–private partnerships that use fiber run by Communications Union Districts (CUDs) for backhaul, private carriers to install antennas, and municipal cooperation for site prioritization. He said federal programs already funded some tower building through the FirstNet/AT&T effort and that AT&T commercial antennas generally were installed quickly after FirstNet sites went up, allowing other carriers to add service on the same towers.
Lawmakers heard that the department does not currently have state funds to build cell towers or small‑cell networks and that filling gaps will rely on leveraging federal funding, CUD infrastructure and private investment. Thompson said the 10‑year telecommunications plan contains a more detailed list of small‑cell and sub‑site antenna priorities and noted the department keeps a list of high‑priority locations that it has shared with FirstNet and carriers.
Representative Seville told the committee there is an unresolved accountability issue when private carriers receive public dollars to extend service. "There is a very rich conversation around coverage and public dollars and accountability," Seville said, noting past difficulty getting timely information about outages. Representative Campbell asked whether the state has a plan to prioritize major transportation routes to ensure emergency access; the department said it has identified priority FirstNet locations and remains engaged with carriers when additional federal funding is available.
The committee did not take formal votes on policy or funding. Members agreed to receive the department's 10‑year telecommunications plan, review it, and schedule a follow‑up briefing so the committee can consider how to proceed.
Ending: The panel closed the session with an agreement to circulate the 10‑year plan and reconvene for a detailed walkthrough and questions; no legislative action or appropriations were approved at the meeting.
