A Municipal Fiber to the Home Network for Charlemont Massacusetts
Information about the Charlemont Connect network construction.
The first fiber service area (FSA) is in the final validation phase of construction. Once complete, ownership of this FSA will be turned over to Charlemont, and customer installations can begin. There were seven defects turned up in the initial validation review. Splicing teams from TriWire were spotted working in these areas on Saturday!
Comments closedThe consultations for locations with underground utilities are winding down. Charlemont homes and businesses must express interest in the municipal fiber service with Whip City Fiber to be contacted for an appointment. Sign-up today to get an underground installation estimate!
Comments closedCharlemont’s first fiber service area, FSA 01, has completed testing and has now moved into the final validation phase! Once our partners at Westfield Gas and Electric validate the testing data, this fiber service area will be turned over to the town to begin in-home installations and provide service to subscribers in July.
Comments closedThe fourth fiber service area, FSA 02, comprising all of Charlemont west of Zoar Outdoor, began construction last week hanging strand on Route 2 and Legate Hill Rd! Splicing has begun in FSA 05, the second fiber service area scheduled for service. This area consists of the village west of the Federated Church, through Avery Brook Road and the Red Rose motel. Strand is the first phase and splicing is the fourth phase of the six phases needed for distribution network construction in each FSA.
Comments closedSplicing is complete in Charlemont’s first fiber service area (FSA), the fourth and longest step in the construction process! Splice teams will move from FSA 01 east into FSA 05, where the fiber and MST construction are close to completion awaiting some remedial make-ready, and then onto FSA 04. The network hub is also seeing splicing activity as TriWire prepares for the testing and validation of the fiber connections to each location.
Comments closedEvery house, apartment, mobile home, and business in Charlemont is encouraged to sign up for world-class municipal fiber-optic broadband service coming to locations in FSA 01 in July. Renters can get the full installation subsidy of up to $1,400 with permission from the landlord when committing to a year of service. Non-resident landlords qualify for up to a $1,000 subsidy per rental unit for an exterior-only drop without the requirement to take service, making it free for most properties. The interior installation, a $450 value during the construction period, requires a commitment to take service for 12 months.
Comments closedOur partners at Westfield Gas & Electric (WG&E) have completed the installation of the active electronics in the Charlemont Network Hub. With this step, Charlemont’s municipal fiber network hub is now lit and connected to the world! The purchase of the active electronics was supported by a USDA Rural Business Development Grant (RBDG) of $36,000.
Comments closedThe Charlemont network hub has been connected to the MBI 123 middle mile network co-located in the basement of Goodnow Town Hall! This work was performed by the MassBroadband 123 network operator Local Lynx. This connection will serve as the Charlemont Connect municipal fiber network ‘backhaul’ that will carry information between Charlemont’s municipal network and the wider world.
Comments closedWhip City Fiber has begun the consultations for underground installations in FSA 01 and FSA 05. To be contacted for installation consultation, residents must be signed up for service.
Comments closedOur distribution contractor, TriWire, has completed the strand and fiber optic installation on the ‘Big Easement’ of FSA 05, a utility easement that runs for about a mile through the woods behind homes on Route 2 and Burrington Rd. Fiber teams accessed this area largely on foot pulling the strand and fiber into position then climbing each utility pole to attach the strand and fiber.
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