A project to bring high speed internet access to public libraries, town halls, schools and hospitals in rural western and central Massachusetts has been completed.
The Massachusetts Broadband Institute, this week, announced that construction and testing of a 1,200 mile fiber-optic network connecting 123 towns has been completed. The project was financed by state money and a $45 million federal stimulus grant. Governor Deval Patrick says reliable and affordable high-speed internet is necessary if the region is to compete in the global economy
State officials say with the so-called backbone network in place it will be more economically viable for the private sector to come in and connect homes and businesses in sparsely populated areas.
