News and information for Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Town residents look to wireless
BY SCOTT MERZBACH STAFF WRITER
SHUTESBURY -- Before the leaves start to turn and fall to the ground,
a group of residents is aiming to test wireless equipment that could
provide high-speed Internet for people in Shutesbury, Leverett and
Wendell.

Aron Goldman, chairman of the Shutesbury-Leverett and Wendell
Broadband Committee, said the group expects to work with Crocker
Communications to find several strategic locations to test the 900
megahertz wireless devices to determine if they can penetrate foliage
and other obstacles and provide adequate service.

This wireless system, which could cost less than $500,000 to build by
using existing structures or discrete towers on which to attach the
wireless nodes, is one of a handful of options the committee is
continuing to explore as a means of providing broadband to residents.
These residents currently depend on dial-up connections, and most
don't have the option of getting DSL from Verizon or broadband from
Comcast.

The committee, which formed in 2003, has been looking at ways of
building a system on its own, though Goldman acknowledges it is too
small to construct its own physical network. This has led to efforts
to create a partnership with a local Internet service provider.

''We're hopeful in figuring out some form of cooperative relationship
with Crocker,'' Goldman said.

Goldman is also enthusiastic about the final report from the
Underserved Community Pilot Project, which has examined Leverett as a
pilot community and developed a business plan and model, as well as
cost estimates, for a so-called hybrid wireless system.

Pioneer Valley Connect, the local nonprofit that aims to provide high-
speed Internet access to businesses, residences and communities,
selected Leverett as the town to study last summer. The recently
completed report estimated the hybrid system, just for Leverett,
would cost $864,000 to build.

Goldman explained that this would mean a fiberoptic loop around a
community and off this would be wireless nodes to reach outlying
customers.

If two additional towns joined in, such as Shutesbury and Wendell,
Goldman said this would only increase the costs by 50 percent,
meaning a $1.2 to $1.3 million outlay.

The issue with either of these proposals is finding the money to
launch. User fees are expected to cover operating costs once a
network is built, but Goldman said the actual work might depend on a
kick start from the state government to fuel investment from a
private provider. A recently passed economic stimulus bill includes
money for statewide broadband infrastructure.

Goldman said the demand for broadband is a growing regional movement,
as his committee has relationships with the Hilltown Cooperative
Development Corporation and has gotten interest from residents in
Ashfield and Warwick.

But he isn't counting on anything being done immediately to get
people high-speed Internet.

''More realistically we're talking about a year from now,'' Goldman
said.