By Charlie Deitz
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-955050.mp3
Western Massachusetts – Remote communities in Western Massachusetts are one step closer to being able to get rid of their antiquated dial-up internet connections. WAMC's Berkshire Bureau Chief Charlie Deitz reports a private firm has been selected to provide a broadband network...
The Massachusetts Broadband Institute, up until now, has been the sole player in mapping, designing and building a broadband backbone meant to reach even the most obscure villages dotting the western Massachusetts landscape. With about 71 million dollars in state and federal stimulus funds, they'll construct a large fiber optic corridor along interstate 91, and from there pull extensions out that will reach into currently unserved and underserved areas. MBI Director Judy Dumont announced today that they have found a firm called Axia NetMedia to provide the network.
State representative Smitty Pignatelli represents a large region with several communities that are relegated to dial up or expensive satellite service.
The MBI has drawn up their plans to connect places like schools, police departments and town halls, what's referred to as the middle mile, however, when Pignatelli refers to the last mile, he means the process of getting service from the hubs out to the homes. Axia was chosen to provide the network because of their track record wiring up communities through out the world, from Singapore to France. Their flagship project, according to spokesperson Dawn Tinling is in the Canadian province of Alberta.
So Axia won't be getting any federal or state money, Tinling says they will be laying out 30 to 40 million dollars of their own money on infrastructure and network costs, but their profit comes from the providers who they sell to. Dumont liked the company's model because they know how to get high speed internet to people's homes, and do it in such a way that curbs monopolies.
The project won't be finalized for another few years, but Dumont emphasizes that people through out western Massachusetts should start seeing bucket trucks by utility poles as early as this spring.