Broadband Internet access is being expanded in Springfield, Massachusetts

On August 4, 2008, Governor Patrick Murray signed into law “An Act Establishing and Funding the Massachusetts Broadband Institute” whose initial mission was to bring broadband access to 32 cities and towns that had no such access.  The ultimate goal is to provide internet access to everyone in the state by the end of 2011.

The MBI has been spreading access in the state and most recently brokered a deal with the city of Springfield to bring broadband internet access to at least 150 schools, public safety organizations and libraries.  Using existing infrastructure, they will be able to bridge networks by building a connection from Interstate 91 to the main Internet hub in Massachusetts located at Federal Street.

This critical part of the broadband network will provide points that will also enable future provisioning of just about all of the North-Central and Western parts of Massachusetts.

There are 120 communities in north-central Massachusetts.

Director Judy Dumont of the Massachusetts Broadband Institute says this will create 400 jobs with an possible additional 2900 jobs “as the result of economic development.”

Under Highlighted Accomplishments on the Governor’s web site is the following: “Developed, filed and secured passage of the Broadband Act to finally bring high-speed internet to every citizen in Massachusetts by 2011.”

We will have to keep an eye on the broadband expansion in Massachusetts to see if Governor Patrick Murray’s Massachusetts Broadband Institute will meet their goal by the end of this year.