Bridging the Digital Divide
Massachusetts Broadband Institute
Breaking News
Governor Patrick
Appoints Judith Dumont as Director of the Massachusetts Broadband Institute;
$1.9 Million in Federal Broadband Funding for Boston
BOSTON – Thursday, December 17, 2009 - State officials today made two major broadband announcements: Governor Deval Patrick announced the appointment of Judith A. Dumont as Director of the Massachusetts Broadband Institute; and $1.9 million has been awarded to the City of Boston for expansion of public computing.
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Judith A. Dumont |
Judith A. Dumont Appointed as Massachusetts Broadband Institute Director
Governor Patrick announced the appointment of Judith A. Dumont as Director of the Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI), an agency working to bridge the digital divide and deliver affordable, reliable, high-speed Internet service to every community in the Commonwealth by 2011.
“Broadband lifts up local economies, improves our schools and strengthens public safety. That’s why expanding coverage throughout the state has been one of our foremost priorities,” said Governor Patrick. “Judy’s strong skill set and proven track record make her the perfect fit to head up the MBI and help us make our vision for universal broadband a reality.”
Dumont has over 20 years of management experience, including more than 17 years in the wireless telecommunications industry. She was President of the Decisioning Solutions business unit at Lightbridge, Inc., a Massachusetts publicly traded software provider for the industry. During her tenure at Lightbridge, Judy held numerous positions at all levels ranging from client support to account management and from product management to business and strategic planning. As President/General Manager for the company’s largest business unit, Dumont worked closely with the Lightbridge CEO and Board of Directors on strategic planning, corporate development, organizational design as well as managing the operation.
“Thanks to the leadership and advocacy of Governor Patrick and his team, Massachusetts is now well-positioned to expand broadband services so that every community has the infrastructure in place to strengthen schools, businesses and public safety,” said Dumont. “I want to thank Governor Patrick for giving me this tremendous opportunity to serve the citizens of the Commonwealth, and I am confident that we will get results in cities and towns across the state.”
Governor Patrick signed landmark legislation creating the Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI), a division of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, to make strategic investments and harness public-private partnerships to develop broadband infrastructure in unserved and underserved communities.
The MBI is making strategic investments in broadband infrastructure assets, such as fiber-optic cables and wireless towers, thereby lowering the overall cost of deployment for private providers. The MBI manages the Massachusetts Broadband Incentive Fund, which is capitalized by $40 million in state bond funding.
For more information, please visit www.massbroadband.org.
Read complete press release >>
Broadband for Boston; More Awards to Come
Senators John Kerry and Paul Kirk, and Congressmen Edward Markey, Michael Capuano and Stephen Lynch, together with Governor Deval Patrick and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino today announced that the City of Boston has been awarded $1.9 million from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) for its public computing center initiative.
As one of only 18 initial awards nationwide in the first round of NTIA broadband funding, Boston's grant reflects the commitment of state and federal leaders to ensuring broadband access for all citizens of the Commonwealth. More awards will be announced in the coming months, and Massachusetts officials are working hard to ensure further funding for broadband projects. In addition to the Boston project, Governor Patrick has informed the NTIA that the western Massachusetts and OpenCape applications are his highest priorities for federal broadband funding.
Broadband adoption depends on underserved residents having ready access to computers and basic training. However, the stark reality is that many Boston citizens do not have home computers. This new investment will fund a coordinated project among three community anchors to provide upgraded and expanded hardware, software, and public computing training in 26 public libraries, 11 public housing developments, and 16 Centers for Youth and Families in Boston. Public computing centers are one of three top priorities for federal broadband funding through the NTIA, along with broadband infrastructure in unserved/underserved areas and sustainable broadband adoption projects.
“Boston’s award will give residents critical access to computers and new training and address digital inclusion challenges for citizens of all ages,” said Governor Patrick. “In coordination with the City’s other pending applications, these recovery funds promise to make Boston a national leader and fulfill President Obama and Congress’ goal of expanding opportunity by expanding broadband. I look forward to prompt and favorable action on our applications for Western Massachusetts and the Cape, so that we can deliver broadband’s economic, educational and public safety benefits to all of our unserved and underserved communities.”