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Baker-Polito Administration Launches Programs to Boost Internet Connectivity
Tuesday, January 5, 2021SPRINGFIELD – Today, the Baker-Polito Administration announced three new programs to boost internet connectivity statewide, including a subsidy program to assist job seekers in the MassHire system that are facing a technology barrier. In addition, the Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI) at the MassTech Collaborative will expand a WiFi hotspot program statewide, delivering free high-speed access points to Gateway Cities, helping expand internet accessibility in areas hard-hit economically by the COVID-19 pandemic. The programs are part of the $774 million economic recovery plan announced by the Administration in October, which designated $9.2 million for an expansion of internet access programs. Governor Charlie Baker, Lt. Governor Karyn Polito, administration officials, and private partners made the announcement during an event held at the Springfield Innovation Center.
Read MoreBaker-Polito Administration Extends Wireless Hotspot Program in Unserved Massachusetts Towns
Thursday, December 3, 2020The Baker-Polito Administration has officially extended the free wireless hotspot program launched in unserved Massachusetts towns in response to the COVID-19 public health pandemic. The existing outdoor hotspots will be extended to June 30, 2021, and in addition, the Commonwealth has offered 24 communities the option to add an indoor hotspot free of charge to provide critical connectivity over the winter months.
Read MoreBaker-Polito Administration Extends Wireless Hotspot Program in Unserved Massachusetts Towns
Monday, August 24, 2020WESTBOROUGH – The Baker-Polito Administration has officially extended the free wireless hotspot program that has delivered public high-speed internet connections to residents and students in unserved Massachusetts towns, in response to the COVID-19 public health pandemic. The program, originally slated to end September 1st, will be extended through the end of 2020.
Read MoreWGBY’s ‘Connecting Point’ Highlights Last Mile Progress
Tuesday, June 23, 2020The Springfield-based public television program ‘Connecting Point’ aired a segment that highlighted the progress made to connect unserved communities in Western Massachusetts.
Read MoreGrant Awarded to Extend Broadband in Egremont & Monterey
Wednesday, June 3, 2020WESTBOROUGH – The Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MassTech) and the Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI) have approved a new grant to expand broadband coverage in the unserved towns of Egremont and Monterey, two of three remaining communities under the Commonwealth’s Last Mile program.
Read MoreNew Program Expands Wireless Broadband Hubs in Unserved Massachusetts Towns
Wednesday, April 22, 2020In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI) at the MassTech Collaborative and KCST USA, the operator of the Commonwealth-owned MassBroadband 123 fiber optic network, are working with local internet service providers (ISPs) to offer new Wifi hotspots to municipalities that lack broadband access. Built off of the MassBroadband 123 network, this new service offers each unserved community a temporary 250 Megabit per second wireless hotspot, free of any monthly charge. This will allow unserved communities that do not have a completed broadband project to increase wireless broadband access for residents and students impacted by COVID-19 restrictions.
Read MoreBaker-Polito Administration Celebrates New Broadband Network in Princeton
Thursday, January 30, 2020PRINCETON – Governor Charlie Baker and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito today joined executives from Charter Communications, Inc., Princeton town officials and residents, state and federal officials, and executives from the Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI) at MassTech Collaborative to celebrate the impact of the town’s new Charter-constructed broadband network. During a roundtable discussion with local leaders and residents, Governor Baker and Lt. Governor Polito heard about the impact that the increased internet connectivity is having on the community, including improvements for small business owners, public safety, and education.
Read MoreMassachusetts Pursues Its Own Route to Broadband Expansion
Thursday, January 16, 2020By: Jed Pressgrove
Since 2016, more than a dozen rural communities in Massachusetts have gained high-speed Internet with state support. Mount Washington and Montgomery, with populations under 1,000, have unique stories to tell.
Baker-Polito Administration Announces $10.2M Federal Award To Westfield Gas + Electric for Broadband Access in Western Mass
Monday, December 23, 2019The Baker-Polito Administration announced that Westfield Gas & Electric (WG+E), a public utility supplying electric, natural gas, and high-speed internet service, has received a more than $10.2 million funding authorization from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to expand fiber-based broadband in 20 communities covering over 12,400 households in rural western Massachusetts. This funding represents the results of last year’s Connect America Fund Phase II auction thanks to efforts undertaken by the Baker-Polito Administration, Westfield Gas + Electric, the Massachusetts Broadband Institute, the Commonwealth’s congressional delegation, and state and local leaders.
Read More"Broadband reaches hilltowns with help from state’s Last Mile grant program"
Tuesday, December 17, 2019The Westifeld News' Amy Porter recently highlighted the impact that broadband expansion is having in the Hilltowns of Western Massachusetts and the Berkshires, noting the grants from the MBI and the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development through the Commonwealth's Last Mile program.
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