Last updated on July 29, 2020
“Is there any way we can speed up the buildout of Charlemont’s municipal fiber network?”
Citizens, Select Board members, state officials, and the Charlemont Broadband Committee are discussing ideas for accelerating the completion of our 1-gigabit symmetrical fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network service to meet the demands necessitated by the coronavirus response.
With National Grid on track to complete work in June, our schedule is dependent on the completion of make-ready by Verizon. Working with Verizon to reduce their make-ready timeline is the single most effective way to speed up Charlemont’s build-out. There are encouraging signs that some of this work has begun in town ahead of schedule.
Charlemont Broadband has been working hard to ensure that whenever make-ready is completed, even if significantly ahead of schedule, we are ready to go!
How have we been preparing?
- Selected a contractor to build the distribution fiber network
- Finalizing distribution network paths in areas where following existing utilities is not possible or not cost-effective.
- Completing agreements with neighboring towns where the utility paths cross town borders.
- Preparing operational accounting methods and financial budgeting for service starting in the next town fiscal year.
- Planning for individual drops to homes, guided by an established ‘Drop Policy’
- Selecting an Internet Service Provider (ISP) and a Network Operator (NO)