DOVER- The town is one step closer to obtaining high-speed Internet access, but there is still a long way to go before Holland Road, Goose City Road or Locust Heights residents can upload and download without dial-up. But the town’s economic development specialist presented an optimistic outlook for Dover at Tuesday’s selectboard meeting and he backed it up with a visit from a major telecommunications services representative.

Economic development specialist Patrick Moreland said he has made contact with Vermont Telecommunications Authority, a state organization that is responsible for providing affordable broadband services throughout the state. Moreland met with VTA officials about rural high-speed Internet access and was told that the VTA has “a change in leadership and a change in programs” and they have established a program for rural communities.

The new VTA program, called Backroads Broadband, will connect 10,000 households in targeted communities where broadband services are lacking. According to a VTA request for proposals document, the VTA identified 99 target communities with 90% or less broadband availability at the 768 kilobytes-per-second uploading/200 kilobytes-per-second downloading level. “East Dover, in fact, qualifies as such,” said Moreland.

Backroads Broadband offers money to providers to connect hard to reach areas with a five-megabyte high-speed Internet access to 100% of year-round residents in the targeted areas.

Moreland and the VTA identified fixed wireless partners but said that none of them were interested. Moreland contacted two more local cable companies and got the same response. Fairpoint Communications was one company that expressed an interest. Moreland and Beth Fastiggi, Fairpoint Communications vice president of government relations of Vermont, met with VTA officials to discuss a joint application for VTA funding and the idea was well received. “I really believe Dover may have the opportunity to change the status quo,” said Moreland.

Fastiggi met with the selectboard to discuss what Fairpoint Communications has to offer. She said Fairpoint Communications is committed to expanding broadband in Vermont and northern New England and they are currently working in rural communities throughout the state. Fastiggi said that Fairpoint Communications’ plan will provide 100% broadband in half of the state’s telephone exchanges, including 348 and 464, which comprise Newfane, Dover, and Wilmington. “I understand there are residents interested in broadband and we’d love to provide it,” said Fastiggi. “The money the state made available to the VTA is an opportunity for Fairpoint to work with communities to get additional broadband.”

Aside from meeting 10,000 households and businesses in designated targeted areas, the VTA will grant funding based on other guidelines including ideal geographic locations; the proportion of homes and businesses in targeted communities without access to broadband service; speed of service and prices offered; opportunities to leverage or support other sources of federal, state, or local funding; the number of potential new subscribers; the quality of services offered by the telecommunications provider; and the provider’s experience with infrastructure maintenance.

Selectboard member Dwayne Coneeny asked Fastiggi how long it would take for high-speed Internet to arrive in East Dover and Fastiggi said she “can’t make a good (prediction).” She said Fairpoint Communications is committed to other areas of the state and to provide high-speed Internet access by June 30, 2011. Part of the decision-making also hinges on VTA grant funding. Should the VTA approve a Dover-Fairpoint Communications joint application, the grantees must build or upgrade the existing networks within 18 months of receiving the money.

Moreland and Fastiggi did not provide any figures on how much it would cost to provide East Dover with high-speed Internet access. However, the VTA anticipates receiving $4.5 million in state capital appropriations for 2011 for broadband and cellular infrastructure development. Fastiggi said the Fairpoint Communications engineering department will examine East Dover’s network and provide specifics on the upgrade costs by next week. Moreland will present the figures at the next selectboard meeting on August 3.