Taking Next Steps With NextLight (Full Speed Ahead blog) - City of Longmont
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Taking Next Steps With NextLight (Full Speed Ahead blog)

A bearded man and long-haired woman smile as the man works on a computer; the kitchen is visible behind them.

Take the nation’s best-loved internet. Share it with veterans in a tiny community. What do you get?

 

Magic.

 

A bearded man with a veterans T-shirt works at a computer on a table. In the background, a woman is opening a cupboard in the kitchen.Ask the residents of the Veterans Community Project Village in Longmont, a “tiny home” community created to address veteran homelessness. The village includes 26 fully furnished homes, a central fire pit, a lot of counseling and assistance … as well as connections to Longmont’s community-owned fiber-optic internet service, named the best internet service provider in the country in PC Magazine’s 2026 Readers’ Choice survey.

 

“All of these residents served and supported their country, and we’re honored to serve and support them now,” said Valerie Dodd, NextLight’s executive director. “NextLight starts with community, and when our veterans can use those connections to improve their lives, the whole community is stronger for it.”

 

Those veterans were recently celebrated at the annual VCP House Party fundraiser. The event drew 174 guests and raised $86,766 – a strong show of community support.

 

For the VCP Village residents, the reliable NextLight connections can mean better health, better opportunities and a way to keep loved ones close. In other words, a better life.

 

  • For Kim, it means connecting with her doctors and therapy sessions through telehealth, getting the care she needs without transportation difficulties.
  • For Dave, it means the ability to search for jobs, apply for emergency assistance and benefits, and reach out for online resources that will help him build long-term security … including, someday, a home of his own.
  • For Allan, it’s been a vital connection to family, allowing regular video calls and even a weekly check-in with his dog.
  • For Michael, it’s been an open door to new skills and opportunities, allowing him to complete an online security training program.

 

“Since coming to VCP, I have been able to search for jobs, stream our favorite movies, play games and use social media,” Michael said. “The internet has made my life so much easier. Last week I started my new job!”

 

Find out more here about the VCP Village and about Longmont’s NextLight internet.  Together, both are helping veterans build better stories.

 

And if that’s not magical, what is?