The lede story is today’s Daily Hampshire Gazette is an update on Easthampton’s consideration of building a community network. A committee looking into it for the city and provided an update to the City Council at their most recent city council meeting.
The city is considering creating a municipal light plant as a means to build a network. And the cost? An estimated $10M – $12M, which is the same range as what we have heard from consultants for Northampton: $10M – $15M.
Some of the quotes sounds exactly what we would have said, if anyone asked. Quotes like this one:
As we become a more connected society, we are going to have to contend with the emerging reality that connectivity and access to the internet are no longer a luxury — they are a driver of economic development.
The City of Northampton could also choose to build a municipal light plant. If so, it would behoove the city to act expeditiously as it is proposed that Easthampton do: one vote in the city council before July 1 (the start of the fiscal year), one shortly after July 1 and finally a referendum in November.