The NEK Broadband Problem
Vermont's Northeast Kingdom is one of the most beautiful and most underserved places for internet in New England. Essex County, spanning towns like Barnet, Canaan, Guildhall, Lunenburg, and Waterford, has some of the lowest broadband penetration rates in the state.
The reasons are familiar to anyone who lives here: low population density makes it expensive for cable and fiber companies to build out infrastructure. The terrain is hilly and forested, which adds to construction costs. And the incumbent DSL provider hasn't invested in meaningful speed upgrades.
Vermont has made broadband expansion a priority, with state grants funding fiber projects through the Vermont Community Broadband Board. But fiber construction is slow. Permitting, utility pole access, and build timelines mean many towns are still years away from seeing fiber reach their road. Meanwhile, homes in the Kingdom need internet now, for work, school, telehealth, and daily life.
What's Available in Essex County Today
DSL
VTel and the incumbent phone company offer DSL service to parts of Essex County. Real-world speeds are typically 5–25 Mbps download, with upload under 5 Mbps. The farther you are from a central office, the slower it gets. For homes at the end of long copper runs, single-digit speeds are common.
DSL works for basic browsing and email. It struggles with video calls, streaming in HD on multiple devices, and uploading anything larger than a document.
Satellite
Starlink is available throughout the NEK and has been adopted by many residents who had no other option. At $120/mo, it delivers 25–100 Mbps download with variable latency (25–60 ms, spiking higher during congestion or weather). Snow accumulation on the dish is a real issue in Vermont winters.
Older satellite services (HughesNet, Viasat) are still around but largely obsolete for modern usage due to 600 ms+ latency.
Netafy Broadband Fixed Wireless
Netafy Broadband's tower network covers Essex County with GigTier fixed wireless, delivering 50–400 Mbps to qualifying homes. This is ground-based wireless, not satellite, with fiber backhaul to each tower and latency comparable to cable internet (10–25 ms).
Essex County coverage includes: Barnet, Bloomfield, Brunswick, Canaan, Concord, Guildhall, Lemington, Lunenburg, Maidstone, and Waterford.
Plans start at $49/mo with no data caps and no contracts.
Why Fixed Wireless Works in the NEK
The challenge with building wired broadband in the Northeast Kingdom is the same thing that makes it beautiful: the terrain. Hilly, forested, with homes spread along dirt roads and river valleys. Running fiber down every road costs millions per mile in construction.
Fixed wireless skips the last-mile construction problem entirely. Netafy Broadband's towers are positioned on high points throughout Essex County, and GigTier equipment uses non-line-of-sight technology to reach homes through tree cover without requiring a direct visual path to the tower. A small receiver is mounted on your home. No trenching, no utility pole work, no road construction.
For communities that have been waiting years for fiber funding to work its way through the grant process, fixed wireless delivers broadband speeds now.
Speed & Price Comparison
| Feature | DSL (VTel/Legacy Provider) | Starlink | Netafy Broadband GigTier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Download speed | 5–25 Mbps | 25–100 Mbps | 50–400 Mbps |
| Upload speed | 1–5 Mbps | 5–10 Mbps | Up to 100 Mbps |
| Latency | 20–40 ms | 25–60 ms+ | 10–25 ms |
| Data cap | None (usually) | Priority throttle | None |
| Monthly price | $50–$80 | $120 | $49–$109 |
| Equipment cost | Modem rental | $599 dish | $99–$199 install |
| Weather impact | Minimal | Snow/rain issues | Minimal |
| Local support | Call center | Online only | NE-based team |
For Remote Workers
The NEK has seen an influx of remote workers, people who moved to Vermont for the quality of life and need internet that actually supports working from home. DSL's limited upload speed is the biggest problem: a Zoom call needs about 3 Mbps upload to maintain HD video quality, and most DSL connections in Essex County can barely sustain that with one person, let alone while someone else is streaming.
Netafy Broadband's Premium plan ($69/mo) provides 75 Mbps minimum with bursts to 200 Mbps, enough for video conferencing, VPN, cloud applications, and a busy household running simultaneously. The low latency (10–25 ms) means video calls feel natural without the half-second delay you get on satellite.
For Seasonal Properties
Many homes in the NEK are seasonal: camps, cabins, and vacation homes used part of the year. Satellite services charge $120/mo whether you're there or not. Netafy Broadband installs a permanent receiver on your property and operates month-to-month after the initial installation. You can keep service active year-round (useful for security cameras and smart thermostats) at a lower price point than satellite.
What's Next for NEK Broadband
Vermont's investment in fiber expansion is real and ongoing. The Community Broadband Board continues to fund projects, and several communications union districts are building fiber networks in parts of the state. But these projects take time, often 3–5 years from grant award to homes being connected.
In the meantime, fixed wireless from Netafy Broadband is delivering broadband speeds to Essex County homes today. For residents who need real internet now, not in three years, it's the most practical option available.
Check your address at netafy.com/contact to confirm coverage in the Northeast Kingdom, or view all residential plans.
