Broadband Committee Minutes

Broadband Committee Meeting                               04/10/18

Attendance : Larry Kline, BJ Johnson, Cliff Weiss, George Cane, Kenn Basler

Preparation for meeting with Lt Governor and representatives of MBI

          Draft letter to be sent in advance outlining issues to be covered

                   Get signatures from Select Board for letter

          Limit to three issues because of time restrictions

          Prepare talking points

Letter to Polito

April 26, 2018

To:     Lt Gov. Karyn Polito
From:          Monterey Broadband Committee

We are seeking your help and advice in ending our log-jam with the state (MBI) as we try to access $1.2 M in state funds to complete high speed internet for residents and businesses in Monterey. We are hopeful that your office will intercede on our behalf to break through the remaining barrier to project completion. Based on your comments at Tuesday’s meeting in New Marlborough, once a town has made a decision, the State should work with the town fulfill that decision.

          Our Town will be making a final decision in the coming month and we need to know that the state will support that decision.

          We will be releasing our final RFP in May with a decision for provider made in June

A small, locally owned and operated broadband provider, has extensively deployed its service in Monterey, and as a result, all other providers have withdrawn bringing service here.Our town’s situation is unique. We need MBI to acknowledge this and work with us and support our final decision by releasing funds to the town.After years of effort, we have concluded that the Massachusetts Broadband Institute, with favoritism for large mega-businesses like Charter Communications, etc., is the barrier to the deployment of high speed, internet service to 96+% of Monterey’s residents. We appreciate that MBI is challenged in its task of providing Internet solutions to the unserved, however:MBI’s requirements fail to consider the unique position in which Monterey finds itself: Our build-out is under way and yet we cannot access our state-approved funding to complete the job.MBI’s position is to withhold grants to our only provider for a minimum of 2 years following project completion. MBI will also withhold 25% of grant monies for several years beyond that. This delay adds undue financial stress on the town’s taxpayers as we will need to raise funds to complete work.MBI gives Charter Communications dramatic and unfair advantage by awarding their grant monies up front -- under the guise of Charter’s financial viability.
We are dismayed and disheartened that the state and MBI in particular would block financial support for locally owned and operating industries that are successfully providing services, creating jobs and offering local accountability to their customers.
MBI, with its big-business bias, ignores the state/federal investment in the Middle Mile. Fiber Connect uses the Middle Mile.
MBI seems to lack understanding/experience/knowledge when it comes to operations of smaller businesses/start-ups such as Fiber Connect.
We believe that MBI does not adequately consider the evolving nature of broadband technologies, business models and consumer habits -- today and in the future.In small towns, smaller is better.
 Fiber Connect’s business plan calls for them to wire 70% of the town with a finish date of 2019 using their own funds.To date, they have wired 35% of the town, and have sought pole permits that will take them to 70%. They cannot complete the work without release of state funds.            
Fiber Connect is a Network-Neutral provider and has committed to offer equal and fair access to all Internet based content.
All Fiber Connect revenue stays in Massachusetts vs. dollars flowing to Charter headquarters.The Fiber Connect infrastructure is a major asset should they experience financial difficulty. Fiber Connect is using its own funds to deploy in Monterey, Egremont and in the business center of Great Barrington, delivering Internet speeds of 1gb/s versus Charter’s 60/100 mb/s service.
Charter is an old-fashioned, content based (traditional cable) business model which is moribund and experiencing rapid decline amongst millenials and tech savvy population (those we are trying to get to move here).A Charter contract requires a 12-15 year franchise agreement.
Charter has done zero work in preparation of any deployment and will push out deployment for several years.
Consumers in our region are widely dissatisfied with Charter/Spectrum.
We appreciate your understanding of Monterey’s unique/oddball situation in attempting to complete this broadband connection.We’d encourage you to take a leadership role in helping Monterey and our neighbor towns to become models of rural broadband access.
Please join us in showcasing what is possible for rural business, public safety, distance education and real estate investment when 21st century telecommunications reach our most remote residents and communities.    Thank you for your attention and support. We would like to follow-up with your office by May 15 to determine next steps.

Meeting ended Noon