Issue 15
February - March 2015
Director’s Corner
My first eight weeks
as Director of the MBI
have been a whirlwind
of activity. From the
Baker-Polito
Administration’s
support for Last Mile
expansion (detailed on
this page), to
discussions with towns
eager to dive into Last
Mile projects, and a recent forum the MBI
hosted with internet providers and partially
connected municipalities.
During my past role as Assistant Secretary for
Innovation Policy for the Executive Office of
Housing and Economic Development, on an
almost daily basis I had the good fortune to
witness the impact that technology is having
on communities. These effects are highlighted
in the Bay State Banner’s piece on the MBI’s
grant to small businesses (page 2) but also in
the television ad highlighting the ‘Brilliant Bus’
(page 4), and it’s those types of examples are
why citizens at the local level, the Mass. legislature, and the Administration have all made
broadband a critical priority.
We’re also excited to see the progress of the
MassBroadband 123 fiber-optic network. In
the 13 months since construction completed,
we’ve had public institutions in 119
communities take service on the network.
The Community Connections column (page
3) provides a breakdown of number & type of
institutions that have chosen to connect.
Over the coming weeks, the MBI will continue
our outreach around Last Mile, hosting
additional outreach meetings for municipal
leaders. If the last two months have been a
map for the future, it should be an equally
busy time for our organization. Lastly, as a
native of the Pioneer Valley, I’m extremely
excited to continue the progress the MBI has
seen to date and to highlight how public
investments in broadband are making a
difference at the grassroots level.
Sincerely,
Eric Nakajima
Baker-Polito Administration Commits Capital Funds
Toward High-Speed Internet Expansion
In an announcement launched on Wednesday, February 18th, the administration of
Governor Charlie Baker and Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito confirmed the state’s
commitment to provide “up to $50 million in existing capital funding to the
Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI) for broadband expansion initiatives.” The
press release announcement confirms the Baker Administration’s support for the Bond
Bills passed last year by the Massachusetts Legislature and signed by the previous
administration.
This commitment allows the MBI to continue the work being done on ‘Last Mile’-focused
projects, including critical mapping and planning efforts that will help the organization
work with local municipalities to build high-speed broadband extensions to homes and
businesses across Western and Central Massachusetts.
As noted in the release, the capital funds
will be used to expand a regional fiber-tothe-home network in “interested towns...
currently lacking any residential
broadband,” provide investment support
for towns like Leverett, Mass., which is
building its own municipal network backed
by the MassBroadband 123 ‘middle mile’;
and to “foster public-private partnerships
which will expand residential broadband access in
communities with existing cable franchise agreements.”
Leverett police station.
In the release, both the Governor and Lt. Governor highlighted the importance of
delivering high-speed broadband:
“Providing high-speed broadband access to all cities and towns is not only a matter of
basic fairness, but it is an essential part of building stronger communities and a stronger
economy,” said Governor Baker. “It’s time that we connect cities and towns throughout
Massachusetts to the high-speed broadband service that is critical in today’s digital world.”
“This administration is committed to empowering residents and unleashing
entrepreneurial activity throughout the Commonwealth,” said Lieutenant Governor Polito.
“With this funding, we are one step closer towards closing the digital divide that continues
to hinder residents and businesses in Western Massachusetts.”
In addition to the support of the Administration, legislative leaders from across Western
Massachusetts also weighed in, including Senate President Stan Rosenberg of Amherst,
State Senator Benjamin Downing of Pittsfield, and Rep. Stephen Kulik of Worthington:
“I applaud Governor Baker’s decision to release these funds,” said Senate President Stan
Rosenberg. “It is another clear signal that, even though we have a new Administration,
we are still fully committed to creating long promised access to high speed internet for the
businesses, students, and residents of our region.”
“This is the beginning of the end of the digital divide in western Massachusetts,” said State
Senator Benjamin B. Downing. “Connecting all of our residents will create jobs and help
the region’s economy thrive.”
“I am grateful for Governor Baker’s commitment to our continued progress in bringing
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75 North Drive, Westborough, MA 01581 • tel: 508.870.0312 • fax: 508.898.9226
Continued from page 1
broadband service to our undeserved residents and businesses in western Massachusetts,” said Representative Stephen Kulik. “Our rural
communities must have high-speed broadband in order to function in the modern world and to compete in today’s economy. The release of
this $50 million in state funds, and the partnership with local governments, moves us significantly closer to building the network and
finishing the job.”
Over the last decade, the leaders of Massachusetts have affirmed their support for the positive economic and social impact that
broadband connectivity can have on the Commonwealth. From their investments in the MassBroadband 123 ‘middle mile’ to the current
support for ‘last mile’ initiatives, Massachusetts policy leaders have recognized the impact that broadband can have on the lives of the
Commonwealth’s citizens and our business sector.
MBI Programs Highlighted in Recent Media Coverage
The MBI’s efforts have been highlighted in several recent media stories, highlighting the impact that broadband expansion is having – and
could have – on the economies and livelihoods in our cities and towns.
In late 2014, the trade publication Broadband Communities Magazine recapped the community panel that the
MBI helped organize at the publication’s economic development conference in Springfield, Mass., which took place
in early September (a conference we highlighted in our previous newsletter). That panel featured four
Massachusetts leaders from various organizations, including Kevin Warenda, Director of IT for Longmeadow; Bill
Young, CIO of Berkshire Health Systems; Sheila Cuddy, Executive Director of the Quaboag Valley Community
Development Corp.; and Fitchburg Mayor Lisa Wong. Each brought a unique perspective to the impact that
broadband is having in their community. As Bill Young summarizes in the piece: “The [MassBroadband 123]
network is helping us change health care,” Young said. “[A]nd that will change the economy.”
The MBI’s Small Business Technical Assistance Program was featured in a piece by the
Bay State Banner’s Martin Desmarais, titled “Program helps businesses harness
Internet technology” (February 11, 2015), which highlights how the grant program
impacted businesses working with the Dorchester Bay Economic Development
Corporation in Boston. In the article, MBI Director Eric Nakajima highlights the
importance of internet connectivity:
“It is important to help companies migrate to the digital age,” said Eric Nakajima,
director of the Massachusetts Broadband Institute. He calls it a matter of survival for
today’s small businesses.
During a meeting at the State House in late February, the Tech Hub Legislative Caucus, a group of legislators and technology leaders came
together to discuss the ways to keep expanding growth in the Commonwealth’s tech sector, which employs over 200,000 people,
according to the piece. In the story by Springfield’s WWLP 22 News , State Senator Karen Spilka (D-Ashland), highlighted her
understanding of the need for high-speed internet, stating:
“It blows my mind that we still do not have full broadband access to all corners of Massachusetts, especially Western Massachusetts.”
broadband.masstech.org • @MassBroadband • massvetsadvisor.org
Community Connections - MassBroadband 123 Status Tracker
A little over a year after the end of construction and turnover of MassBroadband 123, many public institutions have
taken service on the fiber-optic network. The network has recently reached a few notable milestones, including
providing service to:
•
Over 40% of all the public institutions connected have
taken service, totaling 460 across Western & Central Mass.;
•
Of those facilities, several have purchased more than one
service, upping the total orders taken on the network to
over 550;
•
Nearly 3/4’s of all libraries, thanks to the partnership of
organizations such as the Massachusetts Board of Library
Commissioners and CW-MARS;
•
Over 160 individual public safety organizations have
signed on, due to the continued support of the Executive
Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS);
•
Shutesbury Libray
Passed the 50% threshold for Educational Institutions (86), highlighting the demand for 21st Century technology in
our schools and colleges.
A full breakdown of the CAI count is included below:
Broadband USA
BroadbandUSA is President Obama’s latest initiative to support the development of community-based broadband projects
and more broadly promote the deployment and adoption of broadband across the U.S.
Building on expertise gained from overseeing the $4.7 billion Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP),
BroadbandUSA offers:
•
•
•
Online and in-person technical assistance to communities;
Hosts regional workshops around the country; and
Publishes guides and tools that provide communities with
proven solutions to address problems in broadband infrastructure
planning, financing, construction, and operations across many types of business models.
One such guide is the “Introduction to Effective Introduction to Effective Public- Private Partnerships” primer. This
publication provides a basic introduction to a variety of partnership models for communities that are considering new
broadband projects. The primer provides an overview of the steps to establishing partnerships and presents case studies of
successful public-private broadband partnerships.
The primer highlights the MBI’s MassBroadband 123 project as a positive example of a ‘Government–led/Private
Sector-Supported’ model. You can read the case study on page 7 of the primer (PDF).
75 North Drive, Westborough, MA 01581 • tel: 508.870.0312 • fax: 508.898.9226
Why Broadband...
In our effort to highlight the impact that broadband is having, the MBI highlights people or organizations that are using
high-speed to internet in innovative or unique ways.
You may have met Estella Pyrform during this year’s Super Bowl. No, she wasn’t involved in the game, but was
highlighted as part of Microsoft’s 2015 Super Bowl commercial.
Estella is the woman behind Estella’s Brilliant Bus, an effort which delivers technology access to kids in a very literal way.
Brilliant Bus is a mobile learning station that gives underserved communities access to the technology that will help them
reach their potential. Estella is changing lives, an effort she couldn’t make happen without reliable high-speed broadband.
Estella, now 78, grew up and taught in the South Florida region that she now crisscrosses in her bus. She personally knows
the families of many of the children she meets, as she taught their parents and their grandparents.
Many of these kids do not have computers at home and live in low-income households which lack the transportation to get
to locations which have broadband-enabled computers.
Estella learned from her father that education is critical to a better life and she recognized that technology is one of the
best tools we have to deliver education. Her feeling is that the earlier we get kids to learn technology the better off they
will be. As she notes in the video:
“When kids get on this bus, they’re able to learn about the world and connect with the world with Microsoft technology,” she
says. “And I can empower them to make their lives better.”
Adults are also welcome on the Brilliant Bus, where everyone learns how to use a computer and to navigate the Internet.
The program is designed to improve educational and economic opportunity for all who participate.
To learn more about Estella and the Brilliant Bus, click on the Microsoft ad (above) or watch as Estella receives a CNN Hero
Award in 2014.
Know someone who is using internet to make a difference at their business or non-profit?
Let us know!
broadband.masstech.org • @MassBroadband • massvetsadvisor.org