Twelve Vermont towns have agreed to form a new communications district that will bring high-speed internet services to the communities via fiber optic cables.

Central Vermont Internet will bring publicly run high-speed interest to the member towns.

The proposal to create the municipality passed in all 12 towns that voted on the issue on Tuesday's Town Meeting Day. In May, the town of Barre will vote during its Town Meeting.

The idea was proposed by Berlin Select Board member Jeremy Hansen, also a computer science professor at Norwich University in Northfield. The project would be funded with municipal bonds and then paid for by subscribers. It's hoped construction can begin in 2020.

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