Massachusetts and Local Linx Extend Wifi Hotspots to Assist COVID-19 Response
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Massachusetts Broadband Institute at MassTech and Local Linx (formerly KCST) have worked with local internet service providers (ISPs) to offer WiFi hotspots to unserved municipalities that lack broadband access. This program was established in April 2020 and the existing outdoor hotspots will be extended up to June 30, 2021. In addition, MBI has offered eligible communities the option to add an indoor hotspot free of charge to provide critical connectivity over the winter months.
- There are currently 23 active outdoor Wifi sites that have been established through this program – full list below. Those marked with an asterisk (*) indicate that their participation in the program ends January 31, 2021.
- These access points build off of the Commonwealth-owned MassBroadband 123 fiber-optic network. Each hotspot has been established at one of the community anchor institutions (CAIs) connected to the 1,200 mile fiber network in 2014.
- Each of the communities listed below has a temporary 250 Megabit per second (Mbps) wireless hotspot, which will allow them to increase wireless broadband access for residents and students impacted by COVID-19 restrictions.
- Our thanks to Local Linx, town leaders and the ISPs – Access Plus, Crocker, Westfield Gas+Electric – for their help launching and maintaining these sites.
MBI expects that each community will provide residents with instructions on how to access the hotspots.
PLEASE NOTE: It is critical that citizens who use these hotspots follow social distancing protocols in accordance with the guidance issued by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
| Town | Location | ADDRESS | PROVIDER | FACILITY WEBSITE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashfield |
Belding Memorial Library |
344 Main Street | WG+E | |
| Becket | Town Hall | 557 Main Street | WG+E | |
| Blandford | Town Hall | 1 Russell Stage Road | WG+E | |
| Charlemont | Hawlemont Regional School | 10 School Street | WG+E | |
| Chesterfield | Town Offices | 422 Main Road | WG+E | |
| Colrain | Library | 12 Main Road | WG+E | |
| Cummington | Town Hall | 33 Main Street | Crocker | |
| Florida | Senior Center | 367 Mohawk Trail | Access Plus | |
| Goshen | Town Office | 40 Main Street | WG+E | |
| Hawley | Town Offices | 8 Pudding Hollow Road | Access Plus | |
| Heath | Former Heath Elementary School | 18 Jacobs Road | WG+E | |
| Leyden | School/Town Office | 7 Brattleboro Road | WG+E | |
| Monroe | Town Offices | 3C School Street | Access Plus | |
| New Braintree | Leroy Pollard Memorial Library | 45 Memorial Drive | Crocker | LINK |
|
New Marlborough |
Library | 1 Mill River-Gt. Barrington Road | Crocker | |
| New Salem | Swift River School | 201 Wendell Road | WG+E | |
|
Sandisfield |
Town Hall | 66 Sandisfield Road | Crocker | |
| Savoy | Town Hall | 720 Main Road | Access Plus | |
| Tolland | Town Hall | 241 W Granville Rd | Crocker | |
| Warwick | Warwick Community School | 41 Winchester Road | Access Plus | |
| Wendell | Town Offices | 9 Morse Village Road | WG+E | |
| Windsor | Town Hall | 1890 Route 9 (Berkshire Trail) | WG+E | |
| Worthington | R.H. Conwell Elementary | 147 Huntington Road | Crocker |
The Commonwealth’s Last Mile program has invested over $55 million in direct grants to close broadband access gaps, bringing the total to 29 of 53 communities with completed projects. That includes six communities which have delivered broadband access to at least 96 percent of residences, the target of the Commonwealth grant program, but which will finish connecting additional customers in early 2021. The 29 completed projects have delivered broadband connections to an estimated 25,000 citizens since 2016.