The validation of FSA 01 continues to move ahead and Charlemont anticipates acceptance of the network during the week of July 19, barring issues uncovered during the final network acceptance. Charlemont has selected and Whip City Fiber has scheduled six to eight beta users for installation at the end of next week. These beta testers will ensure the quality of the service and work with Whip City Fiber to correct any identified issues before installation is open to subscribers. The beta phase is expected to be a week to 10 days, moving general installations into early August.
The beta test phase was introduced by Whip City Fiber based on experience with deploying the first fiber service area in other hilltowns. Beta-testers were selected based on willingness to improve the service for others, contributions to the project, an understanding of the technology, an aerial service path, availability during the installation period, and geographic distribution within the FSA.