Mt. Washington is going from almost no Internet and sporadic cell service to faster speeds than even Great Barrington, the nearest large hub town, which is served by cable but not at speeds high enough to support a thriving, 21st-century economy.
Tag: Massachusetts Broadband Initiative
Four desperate towns make broadband pact, pitch MBI for funds
The towns of Sandisfield, New Marlborough, Monterey and Tolland decided to share the pain by hiring an attorney who helped them navigate a legal pathway that would allow the towns to bid out the construction of a fiber optic network and sign a 15-year contract with a service provider to operate it.
Gov. Baker economic secretary ‘surprised’ by criticism of broadband strategy for rural Western Massachusetts
Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration is quietly flirting with massive private companies like Comcast to deliver what will likely be inferior and expensive service to rural towns. “It’s a slow-rolling tragedy that will blight Western Massachusetts for generations.”
— Susan Crawford, Harvard law professor and director of the Berkshire Center for Internet and Society
Wired West gains wide support for rural high speed, broadband network
“This is an incredible opportunity, a watershed moment for us to move forward and be as competitive as we possibly can and stay viable as a community in a global economy.”
— Tim Lovett, Berkshire Property Agents
“Broadband is an essential infrastructure like electricity, water and roads. We have all things to make quality of life here so great, but if you can’t do business, it’s not an option.”
— Tim Newman, New Marlborough broadband advocate