Bridging the Digital Divide |
Connecting the Commonwealth — The Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI), a division of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC), today submitted an application for $45.4 million in federal stimulus funding under Round Two of the U.S. Department of Commerce's Broadband Technology Opportunities Program. Through the leadership of the Patrick-Murray Administration and the Massachusetts Legislature, the Commonwealth is providing $26.2 million in matching funds to bring the total investment in the project to $71.6 million. The application—named MassBroadband 123—will create a robust fiber-optic network that connects 123 communities in the western part of the state. MassBroadband 123 will build an essential foundation for connecting residents, new economic opportunities, improving education and healthcare, and strengthening public safety. "Bringing adequate broadband service to unserved and under-served communities in "Expanding broadband service is a key element of improving and investing in our state's infrastructure," said Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray. "The MassBroadband 123 application supports our administration's goal to provide broadband service to Governor Patrick and members of the Massachusetts Congressional delegation are working together to ensure that the MBI's application provides Massachusetts the strongest chance to win federal funding. Congressman John Olver recently visited with MBI Director Judith Dumont to review the draft application and discuss the needs of the region. "Providing affordable, quality broadband connectivity to every community in this region is our top priority as we work to bridge the digital divide in western Massachusetts," said Dumont. "I want to thank all of our partners, state and federal leaders, community groups and our entire team for the tremendous collaboration that went into producing MassBroadband 123." MassBroadband 123 will build more than 1,100 new miles of fiber-optic cable to connect homes and businesses, as well as community anchor institutions, including community colleges, public safety institutions, hospitals and libraries in a proposed service area covering over one-third of Massachusetts. The broadband network will also contain 55 miles of fiber-optic cable currently being pulled along I-91 through the MBI's partnership with MassDOT. This project is an important component of the MassBroadband 123 network and was recently cited in the National Broadband Plan as a model for other states. The network will provide a publicly owned, open access, middle-mile backbone infrastructure, which enables last-mile service providers to connect to the middle-mile infrastructure and bring broadband services to households and businesses. The middle-mile backbone will place fiber as close to population and business centers as possible, providing sufficient fiber for last-mile providers to use along their entire routes, enabling connection at virtually any point of the network. The MBI developed the network proposal through a strong partnership with the state's Information Technology Division and the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security. The agencies are committing a total of $6.2 million to help build the network, and they provided significant expertise that has strengthened the application in areas of critical importance to the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), which administers the competitive grant program. The state's Chief Information Officer and a member of the MBI's Board of Directors, Anne Margulies said, "This middle-mile fiber network will connect unserved and underserved communities in a region that spans more than a third of the state. The Governor has made it a priority to bring broadband access to every corner of the state, helping businesses grow and expanding access to important services. This infrastructure will help people connect with agencies such as the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, Veterans' Services, and Labor and Workforce Development, leading to better services not just for the people in the region, but for the entire Commonwealth." "As new technologies arrive to improve our efforts to keep the public safe, our first responders need the infrastructure in place to ensure that all Massachusetts residents receive the best services available," said Secretary Mary Elizabeth Heffernan, Executive Office of Public Safety and Security. "The MassBroadband 123 project will deliver service that is one thousand times faster than currently exists to more than 375 public safety locations in the region. That means better police, fire and other public safety services for our neighbors in western Massachusetts.” Applications to the NTIA for broadband grants are due no later than March 26, 2010. For more information on the Massachusetts application for federal funding, please visit www.massbroadband.org. ###
For more information please visit www.massbroadband.org
Massachusetts Broadband Institute is a division of MTC |
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