Just as building adequate highways was so vital for economic prosperity in the past, the new economic highway is fiber optics.  The services, costs and reliability of a telecommunication system are critical to a region's growth, development and sustainability.  The three counties of Caledonia, Essex and Orleans are commonly referred to as the Northeast Kingdom.  Although one of the most beautiful and rural regions in the State, it has been consistently plagued with high unemployment and low median income.  There is limited, affordable broadband in this region as current Internet service providers (ISPs) are unable to meet the high costs of capital investment.  The rural characteristics of the area does not allow for Internet service providers to meet their user-per-mile ratio.  The limited fiber that is available is aging and inadequate.  With the economy shifting to a globally competitive marketplace, businesses in this rural area have been virtually locked out of the international marketplace.