Frustrated waiting for high speed internet?
We are too, and in 2009, representatives from Western Massachusetts towns with limited or no access to high-speed internet came together to figure out how to solve this problem, once and for all.
An organization called WiredWest was formed, and began working on a plan to build a community-owned, open-access, fiber-to-the-home network to every Western Massachusettshome, business, and institution that wants service and is located in the target region.
What will this network mean for you and your community?
It will mean affordable access to the best quality telecommunications network in the world today. It will provide us with the same education, health care, employment, business, public safety, information, and entertainment opportunities as our urban counterparts enjoy. It will give us a telecommunications highway that will serve our communities not just tomorrow, but for the foreseeable future. And it will mean employing people in our communities to build and operate the network – and keeping much of the generated revenue in our communities.
Making the Idea into Reality:
The WiredWest group is hard at work conducting research, planning, and working closely with legislators, and State and local agencies to leverage our collective resources.
The first order of business is creating a formal inter-municipal organization that governs the network, made up of participating towns. For a town to participate in this organization, it’s important to pass the 2010 WiredWest town warrant_article (in some towns it may be introduced on the floor). Two towns (Conway and Shelburne) have already passed it unanimously, and there are 45 more towns with upcoming votes.
How to Learn More:
We are conducting information sessions throughout the region prior to town meetings, to review the project and the warrant article. I urge you to attend, and to please forward this message to anyone else you think may be interested. Below are the dates we have so far; please check our online schedule for updates.
Saturday, April 24th, 10am: Monterey @ Monterey Firehouse
Monday, April 26th, 6:30pm: Otis @ Town Hall (note: this is a town boards meeting for Otis)
Monday, April 26th, 6:30pm: Heath @ Community Hall
Tuesday, April 27th, 7pm: Colrain/Leyden/Rowe @ Colrain Central School
Tuesday, April 27th, 6:30pm: Hawley @ Town Offices
Thursday, April 29th, 7pm: Ashfield @ Town Hall
Friday, April 30th, 4pm: Great Barrington/South Berkshires @ Berkshire South Regional Community Center, 15 Crissey Rd, Great Barrington
Saturday, May 1st, 10am: New Marlborough @ Meeting Hall
Saturday, May 1st, 10am: Dalton/Central Berkshires @ Nessacus Regional Middle School; 35 Fox Road, Dalton
You can also visit our website: www.wired-west.net or link directly to About Us, FAQ, and Project Overview.
David Greenberg
WiredWest
- Connecting Western Mass to the World
P.O. Box 312 Ashfield MA 01330-0312
wired-west.net • (413) 624-6557
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