With the start of the new year, we want to thank your supporters and share with you our new plans for moving forward in 2017.
As you may know, in late 2015 Governor Baker placed a ‘pause’ on all state Last Mile Broadband projects. In May 2016 the Baker Administration lifted the ‘pause’ and named a new team to lead the effort. Since that time, the Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI, the state agency charged with broadband development to unserved towns) has been working to build individual town-owned and run networks through a newly-created Town Readiness process.
Our original plan, which was supported by MBI when you signed up for service, called for the WiredWest cooperative to own and operate a regional network on behalf of our member towns. MBI has since changed its policy and now insists that each town own its network infrastructure individually.
Since our inception in 2010, our vision has always been to work together on a regional basis to provide a cost-effective and sustainable fiber optic network bringing affordable broadband service to everyone. To comply with MBI policy, WiredWest has developed a new Regional Broadband Solution that will link individual town networks into a regional one by partnering with an experienced broadband provider to deliver services, and to operate and maintain the network on a regional basis. Efficiencies of this network allow it to be operated with significant savings and with other advantages over independent town-run networks.
WiredWest is finalizing a plan with Town Delegates and will be holding a workshop for town leaders on January 28th at the JFK Middle School in Northampton (100 Bridge Street). We are excited to be presenting our plan for a regionally operated and affordable fiber-to-the-home network that will be available to all interested western Massachusetts towns.
In the meantime, we invite you to continue visiting our redesigned website for updates, news, analysis and information.
Thank you,
Your WiredWest Team