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Charlotte Amalie
Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeNewsArchivesMore ISPs with Cheaper Service Coming, says viNGN

More ISPs with Cheaper Service Coming, says viNGN

As the V.I. Next Generation Network fiberoptic network comes online, more Internet service providers are cropping up that will be providing cheaper, faster service by connecting to their network, according to viNGN President Larry Kupfer.

In a statement, Kupfer commented on news reports that the V.I. Bureau of Information Technology’s Internet service contract with local Internet service provider Orbitel will reduce the agency’s Internet costs from $210 per megabit to $33 per megabit. Unlike the territory’s largest three ISPs, Orbitel does not currently receive tax breaks through the University of the Virgin Islands Research and Technology Park. (See Related Links below)

“The savings realized by BIT is not an exception but is the norm, so what we are now seeing is what had been envisioned from the beginning of this project, which is access to incredibly high speeds on a much more secure and dependable network for greatly reduced costs,” Kupfer said in a statement. “The overall goal of viNGN is to make high speed Internet access available to our ISP partners at a cost that is reasonable and affordable for all as the major investment in the infrastructure was underwritten by federal funds. The BIT example is this reality and it is very exciting.”

He added that, as the completion of the viNGN nears the finish line, “We now have agreements with eight new Internet Service Providers doing business in the Virgin Islands and are negotiating contracts with an additional five or six companies that are interested in doing business here.”

Kupfer went on to say that this was just the beginning of the cost savings that Virgin Islanders will soon see throughout the territory. “We will continue to work with local ISPs to make the viNGN high speed network available to everyone at greatly reduced prices. This supports our public computer centers at libraries and community centers providing access to our residents for digital learning, small business opportunities and leisure. ”

Kupfer also said there are rumors being spread around the territory’s new high-speed broadband network, "with a lot of it just not being true.”

“One example of that misinformation is the recent statement made that viNGN was being sued by a local contractor; much to the contrary, viNGN has not been served with any legal activity to date,” Kupfer said.

The viNGN is a subsidiary of the Virgin Islands Public Finance Authority, which is responsible for oversight of the development of the grant funded “middle mile” fiber network and the PCC and Sustainable Broadband Adoption programs.

The viNGN was funded primarily from four grants provided by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration as part of a federal program to stimulate economic recovery by expanding U.S. broadband infrastructure and adoption, especially among unserved and underserved populations.

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