By JIM LEVULIS, WAMC - Original post on WAMC.org http://cpa.ds.npr.org/wamc/audio/2017/01/wiredwestweb.mp3 Efforts to bring broadband internet to underserved areas of rural, western Massachusetts have been ongoing for more than a decade. Now the regional cooperative WiredWest has a new proposal. It comes after Governor Charlie Baker’s administration shook up and reviewed the efforts of the [...]
by Larry Parnass - The Berkshire Eagle Read full story NORTHAMPTON — Rather than build and run a sprawling regional broadband system, a nonprofit cooperative now seeks to fill a narrower but critical role for towns fighting to obtain fast internet connections. WiredWest leaders made this case Saturday to municipal officials from across Western Massachusetts: [...]
Published as a My Turn article in the Greenfield : The Greenfield Recorder, David Dvore, My Turn/Dvore: Where is the broadband?, January 23, 2017 What happens when you put lawyers and politicians in charge of a project that requires business and technical expertise? MBI, Massachusetts Broadband Institute, was created in 2008 by emergency legislation that allocated [...]
Below is a legal opinion regarding the re-organization of the WiredWest MLP Coop as a Limited Liability Corporation (LLC). In brief, it finds that the WiredWest MLP Coop may function as an LLC. There is some follow-up email correspondence with Duncan & Allen regarding MLP operation and collaboration posted below the document. After that, there is [...]
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 [...]
Dear Delegate: The letter and accompanying resolution below has been sent to all town leaders. We urge you to meet with your Selectboard and urge them to consider passing the resolution. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Dear Town Leader: The years-long effort [...]
MBI was initially funded and created by emergency legistlation in 2008 with a mandate to bring broadband internet service to all 45 unserved communities. Instead, they spent $80M building the MB123 middle mile to 123 communities which they claimed would attract private companies to finish the last mile. It never did and now is a hindrance to [...]