[Hidden-tech] WiredWest fiberoptic broadband

[Ed Morris]

Appologies for posting with a tone of skepticism, I commend coordinated community action when something needs to be done - but it seems by the time a small local inititive if/when gets agreed, funded and moving, other options may become more attractive:

http://www.high-speed-internet-access-guide.com/satellite/rural-internet.html

http://www.massbroadband.org/

http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=gov3pressrelease&L=1&L0=Home&sid=Agov3&b=pressrelease&f=032510_broadband&csid=Agov3


I don't think it's a matter of 'IF' high speed internet access will ever reach rural areas, it's more a matter of when.    Back when roads were starting to be built around the US, rural communities didn't try to pave their own...they advocated the gov and dealt with country road until the funding made it out their way.   This is one reason property value and property taxes are more expensive in more populated areas: the choice of convienence.   Like paved roads, high speed utility access will eventually make it to you and everywhere....you'll just have a bumpy ride till then.  :)


-Ed Morris
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Town Websites 
  To: 'Hidden Tech' 
  Sent: Monday, April 12, 2010 3:07 PM
  Subject: Re: [Hidden-tech] WiredWest fiberoptic broadband


     ** Be sure to fill out the survey/skills inventory in the member's area.
     ** If you did, we all thank you.





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  Hi Nestor, the towns identified by the Wired West initiative are those that currently have limited or no broadband access. I don't think Wired West formed as an anti business initiative, but rather a pro-resident one in an area where the private sector hasn't been able to identify a business model to provide nearly universal access. 

   

  I don't know a lot about Wired West except what I learned in  a brief conversation with one of the members of its board.  It sounds like a group of tech savvy residents in underserved towns  who think there may be  a better way to do things in a rural area than by following the business and service models that work well in higher density areas.  I hope they've crunched their numbers, technologies, and residents interests well enough to actually deliver but regardless, I applaud their taking the initiative and wish them well, whether the end result is exactly as they have imagined or some other outcome that extends the reach of broadband to underserved towns.

   

  Charlie Heath

  Town Websites

   

   

  From: hidden-discuss-bounces at lists.hidden-tech.net [mailto:hidden-discuss-bounces at lists.hidden-tech.net] On Behalf Of nestor at fuzzy-math.com
  Sent: Monday, April 12, 2010 11:32 AM
  To: Reva Reck
  Cc: Hidden Tech
  Subject: Re: [Hidden-tech] WiredWest fiberoptic broadband

   

  Wow, this is great!   I did notice, however, that there are not any towns on the main "corridor" that have joined in.  This seems like a great alternative to Comcast, Charter, etc... hopefully towns such as NoHo, Greenfield, etc would also see this as an opportunity to bring in future-proof infrastructure improvements at a time when the future of open and democratic communications are unsure.

   

   

  On Apr 10, 2010, at 3:59 PM, Reva Reck wrote:





    ** Be sure to fill out the survey/skills inventory in the member's area.
    ** If you did, we all thank you.


  Those of you who live in western Mass. towns with limited or no broadband should know about an exciting new initiative to bring fiber optic cable to anyone with a landline phone or grid electricity in participating towns. WiredWest will be a municipally controlled, non-taxpayer funded company offering really fast internet, hdTV, and phone services. Over 30 towns have placed articles on their town meeting warrants to join together to create this network.

  To see if your town is involved, and to learn more about this effort, visit http://wired-west.net/

  -- 

  Reva Reck

  reva at revareck.com

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