CHELSEA — More residents of rural east-central Vermont will be able to use high-speed Internet service, thanks to $1.3 million in investments so far this year by ECFiber.

The money is being used to extend ECFiber’s fiber-optic network to areas of Chelsea, Vershire, Thetford, Norwich, Tunbridge and Strafford that currently don’t have broadband Internet service.

ECFiber is raising money from local investors for its network, with people able to buy in for as little as $2,500 dollars. No public money has been used in the project so far.

The 23-town consortium says it’s building out first where it’s able to reach the largest number of people. So far ECFiber’s service has reached parts of Bethel, Royalton, Barnard and Pomfret, with construction on-going.