After a presentation by Ashfield Telecommunication Committee chair David Kulp, the Select Board voted tonight for a town meeting article that could lead to fiber-optic broadband, telephone, and television connections for Ashfield. The article would not appropriate any money, but, if passed, would authorize the town to begin the process of banding together with other towns to develop a shared fiber-optic network.
The exact wording of the article is: To see if the Town will vote to enter into immediate discussions with other Western Massachusetts municipalities with the intent of entering an inter-municipal agreement, by and through the Select Board, pursuant to Chapter 40, Section 4A of the Massachusetts General Laws, for the purpose of establishing a universal, open access, financially self-sustaining communication system for the provision of broadband service, including high-speed Internet access, telephone and cable television to the residents, businesses and institutions of these municipalities; or act in relation thereto.
According to the Wired West website (http://wired-west.net), twenty-one towns have placed this article on the warrant for upcoming town meetings, and one town (Shelburne) has already passed it.
David King
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment