An audit published on Friday found that Montelink, a Swiss fibre provider, counted 31,600 homes in Valais as “service-ready” even though only 8,420 could place an order. The finding has intensified the company’s public feud with satellite rival VelaReach, whose founder, Milo Kestrel, announced a free year of service for some households caught in the gap.
The review covered 14 mountain municipalities and examined the addresses used to support Montelink’s claims under a rural broadband programme. Auditors found that homes within 50 metres (164 feet) of a fibre route had often been counted as ready, even when no connection reached the building. They found no evidence that the company had broken the programme’s rules, but said the definition was too loose.
The map and the mountain homes
Montelink’s rollout has been a source of argument for months. The company, led by Arun Vardhani, says it is bringing high-speed service to villages that larger providers long ignored. Kestrel has repeatedly mocked the slow pace of the work, arguing that satellite service can reach remote homes without waiting for crews to extend fibre along steep, winding roads.
The audit gives the argument a sharper number. Pia Ervola, who led the review for the accounting firm Alder & Rime, said the gap came down to “the difference between a network passing a village and a household actually being able to sign up”. The auditors recommended a new address-by-address test before further public payments are released.
VelaReach said it would waive installation fees and monthly charges for 12 months for up to 4,000 homes marked ready in Montelink’s map but unable to order its service. The offer, announced on Friday afternoon, is expected to cost the satellite firm about 6 million Swiss francs (about €6.4 million) if all places are claimed. Residents can check eligibility online from Monday.
Funding paused, offer begins
The programme’s administrators have paused a 48 million Swiss franc (about €51 million) payment to Montelink until the company submits a corrected map. Alessandra Rossetti, a local business association’s broadband adviser, said the audit had turned a technical dispute into something residents could test for themselves. “People don’t care which line is on the map; they want to know whether the order button works,” she said.
Montelink said it would publish a revised list within three weeks and send field teams to verify addresses that were wrongly labelled. Vardhani called the audit “a useful correction, not a verdict on the whole project” and said 19,000 additional homes should be connectable by the end of next year. The company has not said whether it will appeal the payment pause.
In Evolène, where steep lanes pass timber chalets and stone barns, the promised contest may be settled one doorstep at a time. The audit recommends publishing a live service checker and reporting verified connections every month. For now, households on the disputed list have a new choice: wait for fibre, or try the satellite offer while Montelink redraws its map.
