Announcements

Manage Your Account Online - New Functionality Added (1/28/08)

Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom offers the convenience of managing your account telephone/internet account online through the Manage My Account section of our website. Manage My Account offers secure online access to your account information and allows you to check your account balance and payment history, view and pay your monthly bill, and you can now order additional features and services.

If you have not yet registered for access, click here to signup now. Enrollment is free, and once registered, you will have immediate access to your account

Waitsfield Cable To Go All-Digital In Summer 2008 - Upgrade Will Bring Many More Channels And HDTV (12/18/07)

Waitsfield Cable is pleased to announce plans for a major upgrade of its system that serves the Mad River Valley and recently added Bolton Valley service area. By the end of summer 2008, all Waitsfield Cable customers will migrate from traditional analog transmission to a total digital system.

This will greatly enhance the customer viewing experience adding additional programming and making possible offerings like HDTV and integrated digital video recorders (DVR's) possible. The upgrade will require the replacement of all analog cable boxes with new digital boxes that offer integrated cable cards in addition to other advanced features and premium audio/video outputs. The engineering and planning work is in progress and includes the installation and conversion of new cable head-end equipment to digital, plus the many internal efforts necessary to make a project of this scale happen.

For more information on HDTV,please click here.

Holiday Gifts Distributed To Local Community Organizations (12/17/07)

In the true spirit of the holiday, Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom coordinated their annual gift drive. In addition to employees donating gifts, customers also brought in donations to be placed under the giving trees that were placed at all three office locations. Hundreds of gifts for all ages were collected and will be delivered to local community organizations for distribution. Happy Holidays from Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom!


Presents from annual gift drive waiting to be delivered.

Important Information Regarding Access to Your Account (12/6/07)

Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom is committed to protecting your privacy. As a result of recent changes in the Federal Communications Commissions (FCC) consumer privacy rules, we are required to implement additional measures to protect your account information. In order for us to answer any questions you may have regarding specific calls on your bill, (referred to as call detail information) we suggest that you have a copy of your bill readily available to provide us the date, time and duration of the call(s) you have questions on. In addition, you also have the following options:

- Obtain specific account information online by logging into your
account via the Manage My Account section of our website at
www.wcvt.com.

- Come to one of our three offices with a valid photo ID and we can
discuss them with you.

- Request that we mail the information to the billing address that
we have on record (address must be on record for a minimum of 30-
days).

- Ask that a Customer Service Representative contact you at your
telephone number of record.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Department at 1-800-496-3391.

Waitsfield Cable to Provide Cable Television Service to the Bolton Valley Resort Area (11/21/07)

Waitsfield Cable has received approval from the State of Vermont to begin offering cable television services to the Bolton Valley resort area. We are currently in the construction phase and have crews working to bring service up to the mountain area. It is our goal to have service available to customers in mid December. If you would like us to keep you updated with the latest information and progress, click here to subscribe to our e-mail distribution list. For information on available packages, rates and channel lineups, click here. We look forward to serving you soon!

Children's Halloween Party In Bristol A Huge Success! (10/29/07)

Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom hosted a children’s Halloween party on Saturday, October 27th at Holley Hall in Bristol. Despite the rain, approximately 150 people attended the spooktacular event. The children participated in games, face painting and paraded their fantastic costumes. Entertainment was provided by Joey the Clown, as well as, local Jim Hines who is a Service Technician with Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom.

Special thanks to the Bristol Recreation Department for use of Holley Hall. Also many thanks to the Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom employees who volunteered their time to assist with the event.

Richmond Teen Center Wins National Grant (9/5/07)

The Richmond Area Teen Center has been awarded a $2,000 grant from the Foundation for Rural Education and Development (FRED). This program provides funds to educational and community development projects that are located in areas served by local telephone companies that are members of the Organization for the Promotion and Advancement of Small Telecommunications Companies (OPASTCO). Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom (WCVT), who is an active member of OPASTCO, submitted the grant application on behalf of the Richmond Area Teen Center. The grant will help with creation of the technology and computer room at the Center. When complete, the Richmond Area Teen Center will be open to approximately 2,500 teens in Richmond and the surrounding communities.

For more information on the FRED education and community development grants, please contact Alan Jones at (802) 496-8328 or ajones@wcvt.com.

Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom Announces Scholarship Recipients (6/18/07)

Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2007 Eunice B. Farr Incentive Award scholarships. This year’s recipients were as follows:

• Champlain Valley Union High School – Keilani Lime, Charlotte


• Harwood Union High School – Jillian Spencer, Fayston


• Mount Abraham Union High School – Rachel Carter, Bristol


• Mount Mansfield Union High School – Krystal Williams, Jericho


• Middlebury Union High School – Renee Anderson, Shoreham


• Vergennes High School – Amanda Wheeler, Addison

According to Alan Jones, Directory Manager for Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom, “It is a pleasure to award these scholarships on an annual basis. Congratulations to this year’s winners and we wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors.”

Each year, Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom grants five scholarships, one to each of the public high schools that students from our service area attend. These scholarships are donated in memory of the late Eunice B. Farr, former owner and operator of the Waitsfield-Fayston Telephone Company and grandmother of Gregg Haskin, President and Chief Executive Officer of the telephone company.

The criteria of the scholarship is as follows, “The award should be presented to a graduating senior that plans subsequent education, be it college or trade school. The faculty should select an individual that has shown a steady improvement in his or her academics, but is not necessarily at the top of the class. The award is designed to benefit a hard working graduate that his or her instructors have found to demonstrate a sincere effort to improve grades/results and plans continuing education.”

Valley Resident Jane Hughes Receives National Scholarship (5/29/07)

Valley resident Jane Hughes has been awarded a $1,000.00 scholarship from the Foundation for Rural Education and Development (FRED). FRED is a charitable foundation and was founded by the Organization for the Promotion and Advancement of Small Telecommunications Companies (OPASTCO), a Washington D.C. based national industry association of rural independent telecommunications providers. Jane was nominated by Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom (WCVT), who is an active member of OPASTCO.

“We congratulate Jane on her efforts as she is definitely deserving of this honor. We wish her the best of luck as she starts her college career this fall at James Madison University,” said Roger Nishi, Vice President of Industry Relations for WCVT and current chairman of OPASTCO.

The mission of FRED and its supporters is to promote educational, social and economic development in rural America and Canada. The FRED Scholarship Program is made possible through the generosity of more than 1,000 small, independent telecommunications companies operating in rural areas across the United States and Canada and the companies that provide goods and services to these companies.



Roger Nishi, WCVT's Vice President of Industry Relations presents Jane Hughes with her scholarship award.

Governor Presents Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom Work Site Wellness Award (5/18/07)

On May 17, Governor Jim Douglas presented Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom with a 2007 Silver Work Site Wellness Recognition Award from the Vermont Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. The awards program recognizes businesses that support employee access to physical activity and promote good health on and off the job.

For more information on the Vermont Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports and other award winners, visit their website at www.vermontfitness.org.

Champlain Valley Union High School Student To Participate In Washington, D.C. Leadership Program (3/6/07)

Hinesburg resident Robin Hart has been selected to participate in the Leadership Through Learning Program sponsored by the Foundation for Rural Education and Development (FRED), which is part of the Organization For the Promotion and Advancement of Small Telecommunications Companies (OPASTCO). Robin was nominated by Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom (WCVT) and will participate in the all expense paid weeklong program this month. “We are pleased that Jane was awarded this great opportunity. We congratulate her on her efforts as she is definitely deserving of this honor,” said Roger Nishi, Vice President of Industry Relations for WCVT.

A total of 15 high school juniors and seniors from rural communities around the U.S. that are served by Independent Telephone companies will participate in the program. Participants will spend time learning first hand about American history, federal government and current events and will also have the opportunity to meet with government officials and members of Congress.

Each student was nominated by an Independent telephone company and was required to submit an application. Participants were selected based on the strength of their essay, their letters of nomination and their community and school involvement. All participating students were from rural areas and were nominated by a local telephone company that is a member of the OPASTCO, a national telecommunications trade association located in Washington, D.C..


About FRED:
The Foundation for Rural Education and Development (FRED) was created in 1989 by the Organization for the Promotion and Advancement of Small Telecommunications Companies (OPASTCO) to address the educational and developmental needs of rural areas. The Foundation's mission is to sponsor programs and activities that improve the educational, social and economic conditions of rural areas. FRED carries out this mission by raising funds to sponsor scholarships, awards and programs that directly benefit rural America.

WCVT Featured In Vermont Life Magazine (2/8/07)

The Spring 2007 issue of Vermont Life Magazine features an article on Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom's rich history. The story appears in the "Made in Vermont" segment and is written by Michael Levine. To read an excerpt from the article, visit the Vermont Life Magazine website.

Roger Nishi Named 2007 Chairman of Leading Telecommunications Association (2/1/07)

WASHINGTON – The Organization for the Promotion and Advancement of Small Telecommunications Companies (OPASTCO) is pleased to announce that Roger Nishi, vice president of industry relations at Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom in Waitsfield, Vt., has been elected OPASTCO’s 2007 chairman. He replaces OPASTCO’s outgoing chairman, Chad Miles, president of Enhanced Telecommunications Corporation.

Nishi has more than 23 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, working specifically in the federal and state regulatory arena, analyzing interstate and state tariffs and rate development,
settlement/contract negotiation, and strategic planning, first for the Telecommunications group of Ernst & Young and later for Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom. Nishi joined Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom in 1994 and currently serves as vice president of industry relations for the company. In this role, Nishi is responsible for ensuring that policymakers understand the affects their rules have on the telecommunications company’s rural customers and the network that serves them.

Throughout his career, Nishi has been active in state and federal telecommunications issues, having served on many industry committees addressing universal service and intercarrier compensation, and
testified before the Vermont state legislature and Public Service Board, and the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service. Prior to becoming OPASTCO’s chairman, Nishi led the organization’s Separations, Access, and Uniform System of Accounts (USOA) Committee, and served on the Education Committee. Nishi has also served as a past president of the Telephone Association of Vermont (TAV), is a member of the National Exchange Carrier Association’s (NECA) Cost Issues Task Group, and previously served on the Telephone Association of New England’s (TANE) Board of Directors, where he chaired its legislative and regulatory committee.

“This year, OPASTCO will build stronger alliances with other telecommunications associations in an effort to establish consensus on key public policy issues,” Nishi said. “The organization will build on efforts from prior years and incorporate changes when necessary to improve outreach to rural consumers.”
Nishi resides in Waitsfield, Vt., with his wife Heidi, and their two children .

OPASTCO represents more than 550 small, independently owned, local telecommunications companies, serving primarily rural areas of the United States and Canada. OPASTCO membership includes both commercial companies and cooperatives, which range in size from fewer than 100 to 100,000 access lines and collectively serve more than 3.5 million customers. OPASTCO represents rural telecommunications interests before federal regulatory bodies and provides educational programs and publications. The association also has an affiliate non-profit, the Foundation for Rural Education and Development. Visit the OPASTCO Web site at www.opastco.org

Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom Completes Broadband Rollout to Entire Service Territory (1/10/07)

24 Communities in 3 Vermont Counties Covering 669 Square Miles Can Get High-Speed Internet


Waitsfield, VT – Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom reached a new milestone with news that 100% of its customers now have access to high-speed broadband Internet service. WCVT has deployed Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) technology throughout its rural service territory to provide its customers with a level of technology that would be the envy of many urban centers. With the completion of its newest remote switching site, all of the businesses and residences located in WCVT’s 669 square mile telephone service area are now within reach of high-speed Internet access.

“This is a huge milestone for our customers, our Company and the communities we serve,” said Gregg Haskin, President / CEO of Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom. “We are proud to be playing a leading role in advancing the state’s goal of making high-speed Internet access available to everyone in Vermont. Now that we have achieved this, our work isn’t done. We are currently in the process of deploying next generation DSL equipment, which will provide speeds up to 24Mbps to our customers. High-speed Internet is a core building block for economic development in many of these communities.”

Bill Fogg, Network Planner for the company concurred, “This is a big achievement for us and a lot of people helped make this happen. This has been a massive project, requiring the installation of many new switching sites, fiber-optic cable, and DSL equipment. It has been our goal from the beginning to make high-speed Internet service available throughout our service area and we are excited to continue the mission of providing world class service to our rural customers.”

WCVT began deploying broadband Internet services in 1999, and has continued to invest significant dollars in the local telecommunications infrastructure to make high-speed Internet access available throughout its rural service area. Access to affordable broadband service is considered to be a critical component of economic development in Vermont’s rural communities.


Vermont Governor Jim Douglas and Roger Nishi, WCVT's Vice President of Industry Relations, celebrate 100% broadband availability.

DSL Just Got Faster - Now Up To 100X Faster Than Dial-Up! (11/1/06)

Great news! Green Mountain Access now offers speeds up to 6Mbps* downstream and up to 1Mbps* upstream in select locations at no extra cost! Surf the web at lightning speeds - up to 100x faster than dial-up. While no broadband provider can guarantee actual speeds, we have optimized your DSL line for maximum performance. For more information on our DSL service, click here.

As a result of this change, our Elite DSL Service will no longer be offered. Effective November 1st, Elite DSL customers will see a decrease in their monthly charges.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions you may have regarding these changes.

Enjoy the speed!

*Speeds listed are the maximum under optimal conditions and are not guaranteed. DSL is a best effort service and actual speeds may vary based upon equipment and line capabilities, distance from the central office, atmospheric conditions, the user's computer system (processor speed and RAM), speed of the Internet, and other factors.