A Municipal Fiber to the Home Network for Charlemont Massacusetts
Information about Charlemont Connect make-ready. Make-ready is work to prepare a “path” for the distribution network to run throughout the town. Most of this work is done by the utilities (National Grid and Verizon) to make space on existing utility poles. In some cases, the town may perform make-ready work by installing new underground conduit (e.g. near the town hall or on Hawk Hill Road) or new utility poles (e.g. on the west end of Tower Road) to create a cost-effective path for the distribution network.
National Grid will be replacing the underground electrical service on a portion of Hawk Hill Road with an aerial solution. At a pole hearing on August 24, National Grid received Select Board approval for the poles to be placed in the road right of way. Once complete, National Grid will allow the Charlemont municipal fiber network to use these poles for the fiber optic cable.
Comments closedEight town-owned utility poles have been installed along the west end of Tower Road! Working through an inter-governmental agreement with Westfield Gas and Electric, these poles will be used to connect to existing utility lines and avoid an expensive railroad crossing!
Comments closedTriWire has completed the path preparation project on Heath Stage Terrace in just a few days! Also the winning bidder on our distribution network, TriWire came to town with a big team and finished quickly. Charlemont is excited to welcome them back to town when our make-ready is complete!
Comments closedThe TriWire team began work Monday morning on the path preparation for Heath Stage Terrace! This well-staffed team anticipates project completion this week!
Comments closedRepresentatives from TriWire met on-site with Charlemont’s Highway Superintendent, Gordon Hathaway, and Broadband Members, Bob Handsaker and Trevor Mackie, on Wednesday to discuss the installation path of new fiber optic conduit on Heath Stage Terrace.
Comments closedThe towns of Rowe and Charlemont entered into fiber swap agreements; one to support the customers in Rowe with fibers through the town of Charlemont and the other to support Charlemont customers with fibers through the town of Rowe.
Comments closedTom Danek of Danek Excavating met on-site with Charlemont’s Highway Superintendent, Gordon Hathaway, and Broadband Chair, Bob Handsaker to discuss the installation path of new conduit on a section of Warner Hill Road. This early communication will support the future maintenance of both the roadway and the municipal broadband network.
Comments closedThe Heath Stage Terrace path preparation project has been awarded to TriWire, the same firm that will be building out our distribution network. This underground installation project is moving forward after much public input and discussion. We expect that this conduit installation project will be completed this summer and fall in advance of our distribution network build.
Comments closedVerizon crews were spotted on Mountain Road this week doing make-ready work! Although Verizon has not officially “mobilized” crews in Charlemont, they have been spotted occasionally doing some make-ready work as their schedules permit. Every little bit helps! Any acceleration of Verizon’s make-ready schedule, currently expected to be complete at the end of 2020, would directly impact the overall timeline for completion of our municipal fiber network.
Comments closedDanek Excavating from Rowe was awarded the contract for the path preparation project on Warner Hill Road. We will be installing underground conduit through a small section of the road to avoid a lengthy and difficult to maintain aerial service feed from the town of Heath.
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