FAQ

Please see the following frequently asked questions about the WiredWest project. If you have a general question that is not answered here, please forward it to us.

General Questions:

• Why does our region need this kind of network?
• How long until high-speed internet gets to us?
• What type and level of service will be offered and how much will it cost residents for service?
• Why Fiber? Why not DSL, cable, satellite or wireless?
• Isn’t fiber too expensive for rural areas?
• Why can’t we just make Verizon provide us all with DSL?
• What will happen if DSL, cable or wireless broadband is installed in my town after WiredWest begins building its fiber optic network?
• If a town already has a multi-year contract with a cable TV provider (e.g. Comcast or Time Warner), does that exclude them from participating?
• My town already has broadband in part of the town. How would this new network affect existing broadband subscribers and providers?

Governance: General Questions

• Are all meetings subject to the Mass open meeting law?
• Will each town need a bylaw to proceed?

Governance: Public Cooperative & Municipal Light Plant

• Public Coop & MLP Comprehensive FAQ

Costs & Financing

• How do you determine operating costs?
• Will towns have to put up money?
• Will towns need to participate in bond offerings?

Interim Funding

• How is the current work being funded?

Communications

• Can the Wired West Web site be linked to a town’s Web site?

Target Area

• Why weren’t Pittsfield, Lenox, Lee, Stockbridge, Cheshire, Adams part of the target region?

Community Organizing

• Should we, as town reps, be identifying people in our towns who have businesses or want to start businesses that need or are dependent on high speed access? Seems like they would be among our strongest supporters.

Technology

• Any technology on horizon?  What is beyond fiber?
• What happens to the cabling within the home?

Comparisons to Incumbents

• In Massachusetts there are numerous electric companies that provide service to customers in their towns. How is WiredWest like this?
• Will fiber over the poles be available to Verizon? If Verizon has wired (already) will WiredWest have access?
• Verizon owns the poles. Can they raise the cost of pole use to our homes in order to help their competitive position?
• Can fiber be run through the electric conduit in our towns?

Service

• How do/who makes the deals with the various phone/cable companies to run over the fiber optic to the homes? Can individuals decide what provider they would like to use?

Mass. Broadband Institute Q & A (Answers supplied by MBI)

• Will Verizon or Comcast have access to an MBI middle mile in the same way and at the same price as WiredWest?
• Will MBI be coming out Mass Pike? [Ed Note.: I think they must mean running fiber along the Pike.]
• When will grant award for $45 million be announced?
• When is build out of middle mile?
• Is it the recent survey to towns that is being used to identify the holes [Ed. Note: presumably this means gaps in service]?
• How are they doing the mapping that is going to facilitate planning for the last mile?
• How do we find out where DCR towers are located?

Q. Why does our region need this kind of network?

A. Building this type of network will have numerous important positive effects for our region – and conversely – not taking the initiative will stifle future prospects for our communities.

High-speed internet access is necessary for:

Regional commerce – Today, and even more so in the future, true high-speed internet access is a requirement for conducting business. Having this kind of network means the businesses in our region can compete on a level playing field with the rest of the State; the rest of the Country; and the rest of the World.

Western Massachusetts has the highest proportion of home-based businesses in the State and also relies heavily on tourism revenues. Their futures are directly tied to wider high-speed internet access. Universal access means businesses can reduce costs by locating anywhere (including in the home), rather than only in areas where access already exists.

Universal internet access combined with the quality of life our region offers would entice more telecommuters and people of all ages to remain in, or relocate to the area. This benefits our region by increasing the tax base and demand for services, and also contributes to the vitality and diversity of our communities.

And finally, having wider internet access will attract new business to the region – both large and small business, which is important for employment opportunities, tax revenues, and investment in our region.

Education – It is shameful in this day and age, that our local teachers cannot assign internet-based homework because not all students have adequate home access. And when internet-based research is required, many of our students have to go to the local library – often after hours – and sit outside or in a car to access the internet.

Compared to their urban counterparts with high-speed access, our students are receiving a learning experience that is inferior in its exposure to technology; opportunities and efficiencies in learning and research; and access to distance learning.

Health & Public Safety – Of particular importance to rural areas lacking comprehensive access to health care, telemedicine enables health care professionals and patients to take advantage of digital communications to save money, time, travel – and most importantly – improve the quality of care. This includes everything from monitoring patient prescriptions, to diagnostic video conferencing with specialists, to remote monitoring of patients to safely allow older adults to remain in their homes.

Broadband networks can assist police, fire and other law enforcement personnel in many crisis situations, allowing them to access and distribute large amounts of critical information quickly and securely, thereby reducing response times.

Government Operations – There is demand from citizens for governments to make more services available online, so they can be accessed 24/7. There’s also the need for greater government efficiency that includes online processing and communication with other levels of government, all of which are not possible today for some of our town governments who lack adequate internet access.

Our existing internet infrastructure is obsolete and will stifle our region’s prospects unless replaced.

With bandwidth usage increasing dramatically over the last few years due to growing use of bandwidth-heavy audio and HD video applications, the speed of accessing information and applications over limited-bandwidth technologies like DSL, cable modem and wireless has begun to hit capacity.

Private companies have deemed urban and suburban areas as profitable enough for their business model to upgrade to future-proof fiber-optic networks, while rural areas are left to struggle with limited service from obsolete technologies. The only way to ensure our region has strong economic, educational and quality of life prospects, is to take the initiative ourselves and build a municipal, fiber-to-the-home network for all.

This type of network will sustain our communities.

The substandard nature of the internet infrastructure in Western Massachusetts today disadvantages our businesses and institutions, our workers, our students, our medical professionals and their patients, our health and safety efforts, and our governments. In turn, that affects the vitality of our communities. Our ability to retain young people and families; and to attract businesses and top talent to relocate to our area is reduced.

In addition, with today’s model, the average Western Massachusetts household pays between $1,000 and $3,000 annually for internet, phone and television to corporations out of state – at higher rates for inferior service compared to our urban and suburban counterparts.

Building a universal, open-access, community-owned fiber-to-the-home network would fundamentally change the prospects for our communities. It would provide better opportunities for business; employment; operational efficiency; education; health and welfare; and better quality of life. It would ensure our communities remain diverse and vibrant.

And it would provide its own economic stimulus to the region. It would employ people locally building the network and operating it, and would create a regionally-owned asset that would keep revenues for service in the region.

However you look at it, there is a critical need for this kind of network in Western Massachusetts and the potential contribution to our region is significant. To see first-hand accounts of how a municipal, fiber-to-the-home network has enhanced people’s lives in Chelan County, WA, please see this video.
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Q: How long until high-speed internet gets to us?

A: We cannot say precisely how long it will take given what we know at this point, only that we are as desperate for high-speed internet as you are. As a result, we’re focused on enabling the buildout of infrastructure as soon as possible, which means we’re now working on the pre-build requirements, including evaluation of business models and sources of financing, operations planning, data collecting, negotiations and network design. We will keep our towns updated on developments – and you can also check our website. All that said, in the most hopeful scenario we would successfully form a regional entity, nail down a solid business case, and arrange for financing in twelve to eighteen months from now. Network construction would then proceed over a few years.

Q. What type and level of service will be offered and how much will it cost residents for service?

A. The high capacity of a fiber-optic network enables high-bandwidth internet, high-definition television and phone service. Fiber also enables other ancillary internet-based services such as real-time two-way video in-home medical care; real-time two-way video education; home security; and “smart homes,” that enable remote management of heat, appliances, and power usage. Although the details on the types of service and affiliated costs aren’t confirmed, we’re actively working on the business model and financing for the network, which will drive the pricing and exact offerings. Currently residents typically pay between $125 and $200 for these services with almost all of that money going out of the region! (Consider, for example, $40 phone, $60 internet, and $60 satellite TV.) Our goal is to create a network where service providers offering internet, TV and phone packages can be competitive with existing prices – and provide better service.

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Q. Why Fiber? Why not DSL, cable, satellite or wireless?

A. A fiber-to-the-home network involves the communications signal being delivered over fiber optic cable to the home or business. Fiber is the fastest known technology, transmitting information at the speed of light and using one of the world’s most stable materials – glass. This technology is the most reliable method to provide vastly higher bandwidth to households and businesses, supporting modern applications. With rates of bandwidth use skyrocketing, sufficient bandwidth has become critical to education, health care, government, competitiveness of existing business, and attraction of new businesses to the region. It is as critical to the future of economic growth as access to a telephone line.

Fiber means phone, cable television, and very fast Internet over just one line. One strand of fiber has thousands of times more bandwidth capacity than any of the last generation technologies like DSL, cable, satellite and wireless, and thus is the only one considered “future proof.” These last generation technologies have limited bandwidth that will not meet emerging and future needs, like video-streaming, video conferencing, remote medical care, file sharing and cloud computing. Currently the FCC is predicting an order of magnitude increase in bandwidth requirements every two years, based on recent history. Why build a highway based on past traffic volumes?

Unlike last generation technologies, fiber is also highly scalable to accommodate enormous future increases in bandwidth. Today’s fiber capacity is limited only by the end-point optics and electronics. As better equipment becomes available or more bandwidth is needed, upgrades providing orders of magnitude increases are relatively simple, without changing the fiber infrastructure.

Compared to copper-based DSL and cable systems, fiber is also cost-effective to install and maintain. It’s the cheapest way to bring universal, reliable high-bandwidth service to rural America. It is, in fact, cheaper than the copper wires we extended to American homes 100 years ago, on a cost-adjusted basis. Also, because fiber is lashed to a high-tensile cable, it is less susceptible to breakage and weather events. As a hard-wired solution, it is not vulnerable to the shortcomings of wireless technologies. The fiber itself is installed on existing pole or conduit infrastructure and most of the cost is in labor, providing good regional economic stimulus in the deployment phase, and a critical foundation for future regional commerce.

Fiber-optics also makes environmental sense. Fiber users report doing more work from home. On average, fiber customers work about one more day a month from home because of their connectivity. If everyone worked at home just one day a month we would see annually:

* 5% reduction in gasoline use
* 4% reduction in C02 emissions
* $5 billion in lower road expenditures
* $1.5 billion commute hours recaptured
* Direct savings to business

Reduced carbon emissions observed in installing and maintaining a fiber-optic networks results in an annual savings of about 700 pounds of greenhouse gases for the first 15 years of a given network implementation, or the equivalent of a European car travelling 1200 miles. After that, the annual savings more than double because the network is depreciated and only a small part of the infrastructure needs to be renewed each year. For comparison, voice-grade copper systems require electric signal repeaters every mile or so for satisfactory performance; while optical systems can go 60 miles with no electric power input required.

In the late 20th century, copper wire technologies were tweaked to increase the amount of data they could carry. However, despite these improvements, the fundamental physical properties and limitations of the medium are no different today than when the first telephone exchange was opened in 1877 by the Bell Telephone Company. Our bandwidth needs are now increasing 40 to 50% per year, and they are beginning to dramatically slow the flow of information over this “suped-up” copper, the same way increasing the number of homes served by one small water pipe would reduce the flow to each home.

Like the other last generation technologies, wireless has similar bandwidth limitations, making it slow and ill-equipped for modern applications. It’s also subject to the interference from weather and signal obstacles including foliage. Of particular challenge to our area is the requirement of a clear line of sight between the transmitting tower and the receiver at the residence.

Wireless is extremely useful where mobility is the top priority, but is not nearly as robust or secure as optical fiber for the “heavy lifting” telecommunications requirements – nor is it economically feasible in our region if universal coverage is the goal. The best way to use wireless is as an addition to a foundation of universal fiber through centrally located hotspots.

In much of the rest of the world, and urban/suburban areas of the U.S., fiber networks to the home have become the deployed medium of choice. It is important that our rural businesses, students, medical professionals and citizens can live and operate on a level playing field with the rest of the world. Just like the rural electrification initiative of the early 20th century, without the next generation fiber infrastructure, our community will be left behind as the rest of the world moves rapidly to develop and use it. Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen.

For more information on fiber-based networks, please see the following links:

• Advantages of Fiber Optics
• fiber-to-the-home council

Q. Isn’t fiber too expensive for rural areas?

A. Rural fiber-to-the-home being too expensive is a myth. It is too expensive for the business model of private providers – particularly those who are publicly-traded companies – who have to show profitability in a very short period. And that’s precisely why we don’t have ubiquitous high-speed internet access now – we’ve left it to the private market.

Think back to the rural electrification of America. Then, as now, it wasn’t profitable enough for private companies to build out electrical service to rural communities. Imagine where those communities would be today if the government hadn’t stepped in to help fund this essential service – which over time has sustained itself and become a profitable enterprise.

Rural fiber-to-the-home is affordable when you use an appropriate financing and business model that isn’t subject to the same short-term measures of profitability as a private company. A municipal model for example, allows capital investment that can be written off over a longer period of time.

Communities are driven by the “common good” interest of providing critical infrastructure that serves a larger constituency: individuals, businesses, schools, government entities and service providers. It not only provides them with the essential tools to prosper, but also becomes a regional asset that employs people in the construction and operation of the service, and pays revenues for services back to the region.

Participating towns will not be asked to finance the capital costs of building out the network. Together the towns will determine the best business structure and model that will enable low-interest financing (likely municipal bonds) to construct and run a self-sufficient fiber optic network.

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Q. Why can’t we just make Verizon provide us all with DSL?

A. We believe this is a bad strategy for many reasons, not the least of which is that DSL is a last-generation stop-gap solution that is already inadequate, and will serve to hobble the future economic development of our region.

In addition, there would be enormous effort required financially and legislatively in trying to achieve this, with a low probability of success.

Q. What will happen if DSL, cable or wireless broadband is installed in my town after WiredWest begins building its fiber optic network?

A. It is possible that new and existing private providers may choose to expand access in your town, using last generation technologies, before the WiredWest network is finished. It is highly improbable private providers would offer universal service to all, because it wouldn’t be profitable enough.

If service was expanded, it’s up to the potential users to review their options, including installation and termination fees and contract requirements.

In comparing these last generation technologies to fiber, we firmly believe fiber is a vastly superior long-term solution, and that the advantages to subscribers of service on a fiber-optic network that keeps revenues in the community will be strong incentives for people to choose the fiber option. Wherever fiber optic networks are available, customers usually choose fiber. Indeed, it is fundamental to our vision that the network is available to everyone in order to create a financially sustainable network.

Q. If a town already has a multi-year contract with a cable TV provider (e.g. Comcast or Time Warner), does that exclude them from participating

A. No, it just creates more broadband options. WiredWest will create a fiber optic network that will allow any vendor to offer TV, phone and broadband services in addition to any existing provider such as cable TV companies. The additional competition will give residents greater choice and we expect that the quality of a fiber optic service will be preferred.

Q. My town already has broadband in part of the town. How would this new network affect existing broadband subscribers and providers?

A. Some (or even all) of the residents in your town may already have access to broadband (via DSL, cable, or wireless). A new fiber optic network will be accessible to all residents — whether or not they currently have broadband access.

In addition, our network is open-access, which means that any vendor, including existing broadband providers, may offer services using the faster, higher capacity fiber optic network. We believe the advantages to users of getting service over a fiber-optic network while supporting a community-owned asset will be strong incentives for people to choose the fiber option.

Throughout the country wherever fiber optic networks are deployed, residents with a choice of alternative broadband technologies usually switch to fiber. Community-owned fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) networks have been around for about ten years and after four years the percentage of residents who choose to subscribe to services on a municipal FTTH is on average 54%, which is much higher than typical subscriber rates for DSL or cable broadband. Thus, we have good reason to believe that a fiber optic network will be successful and competitive with other technologies — should a town be so lucky!

Q. Are all meetings subject to the Mass open meeting law?

A. This is a gray area because we are not yet a legal entity but delegates have been appointed by selectboards. We are currently seeking legal advice on this issue. However, that said, WW strongly believes in complete transparency.

Q. Will each town need a bylaw to proceed?

A. No, there will be one set of bylaws that will govern the organization and each town will need to sign those bylaws if they wish to be a member of the organization.

Q. How do you determine operating costs?

A. Operating cost projections will be based on that of similar existing networks, and will be fully accounted for in the projected financial statements.

Q. Will the towns have to put up money?

A.Each town will have to come up with a one-time membership fee of $1,000 to join the Cooperative. This can be funded by the town itself or be raised privately on behalf of a town.

If a town wants to be a pilot town, one of the selection criteria is whether a town, or residents on behalf of town, has resources to commit to helping build out their town as a pilot. This is entirely optional.

WiredWest is working to structure the business model and financing in a way that does not necessitate the commitment of town funds for capital or operational costs. In the unlikely event that funds from towns became a requirement; a town would have the option whether or not to participate via a vote by citizens at a town meeting prior to any obligation.

Q. Will towns need to participate in bond offerings?

A.WiredWest is making every effort to structure the business model and financing to avoid the requirement of town bond guarantees. However, we cannot say for certain until we are into the financing process whether or not that’s unavoidable.

In the event towns need to put up guarantees for bonds in order to finance the buildout of a town, specific details on the offering and the guarantee would be available, and a town’s participation would be contingent on a town meeting vote prior to any obligation.

Q. How is the current work being funded?

A. Individual contributions by WiredWest activists continue to fund the organization, in addition to a grant from MBI to cover the cost of our consultant, Design Nine, and grants from our regional planning agencies to provide municipal legal assistance. We have also received significant in-kind services and support from our partners and supporters

Q. Can the Wired West Web site be linked to a town’s Web site?

A. Yes! Great idea! Our address is: http://www.wiredwest.net.

Q. Why weren’t Pittsfield, Lenox, Lee, Stockbridge, Cheshire, Adams part of the target region?

A. The Steering Committee made a decision to make our initial focus the communities in most need–unserved, meaning no broadband at all, and underserved, typically meaning only a single provider. We fully expect that additional communities like Pittsfield and Adams will eventually join Wired West.

 

Q. Should we, as town reps, be identifying people in our towns who have businesses or want to start businesses that need or are dependent on high speed access? Seems like they would be among our strongest supporters.

A. Definitely! We need help with this, and will contact the town delegates soon with information on how they can help.

Q. Any technology on horizon?  What is beyond fiber?

A. Fiber has such high capacity that it essentially “future proofs” the communities that make fiber infrastructure investments. Very conservatively, fiber has a useful life of thirty to forty years, and fiber installed by the telephone companies in the 1970s is still in use today. While wireless will be very important for mobility access to services like phone, messaging, email, and the Web, we believe Wired West needs to focus on infrastructure that enables new kinds of work and job opportunities, and in particular, infrastructure that will attract new businesses to the region and help retain the ones that are already here. Fiber is critical for that.

Q. What happens to the cabling within the home?

A. If you already have Category 5 or Category 6 Ethernet cabling in your home or business, you can continue to use that when you get a Wired West fiber connection. The fiber will be connected to a small box very similar to a cable modem or DSL modem, and you can plug your existing computers and household network into that box.

Q. In Massachusetts there are numerous electric companies that provide service to customers in their towns. How is WiredWest like this?

A. We are evaluating a variety of business and service models at this time to determine what the right approach is. As we identify the best options, we will share this with you.

Q. Will fiber over the poles be available to Verizon? If Verizon has wired (already) will WiredWest have access?

A. Our intention is to create an open access network, and we would invite Verizon and any other provider to use the WiredWest network to offer services to businesses and residents. Verizon does not typically share their network with other entities like WiredWest.

Q. Verizon owns the poles. Can they raise the cost of pole use to our homes in order to help their competitive position?

A. The cost for space on poles is regulated by the Commonwealth. We are also evaluating the cost of using the poles owned by other utilities.

Q. Can fiber be run through the electric conduit in our towns?

A. In some cases, if there is adequate space in an electric conduit, it may be possible to run a fiber cable. Towns that have empty conduit should share the location of that conduit with WiredWest, as that may help get fiber into the community more quickly and at less cost. If towns are planning road, sidewalk, or water/sewer improvements, please coordinate that work with WiredWest, as telecom duct can often be included in these “open ditch” efforts at very low cost.

Service

Q. How do/who makes the deals with the various phone/cable companies to run over the fiber optic to the homes? Can individuals decide what provider they would like to use?

A. A primary role of WiredWest will be to identify service providers and make agreements with them to offer services in the region. We are currently evaluating a variety of business models, and one of the models we are considering (open access) would allow residents and businesses to pick which provider(s) they want for services like Internet, TV, and telephone. Other regions that have implemented open access networks often have several competing providers for common services like Internet and telephone, and this competition has decreased the cost of those services by as much as 50% to 70%.

Mass. Broadband Institute Q & A (Answers supplied by MBI)

Q. Will Verizon or Comcast have access to an MBI middle mile in the same way and at the same price as WiredWest?

A. Yes, all last mile providers or last mile networks will have open-access to the MBI network at the same price.

Q. Will MBI be coming out Mass Pike? [Ed Note.: I think they must mean running fiber along the Pike.]

A. At this time the MBI does not plan to lay new fiber along the MassPike. The MassBroadband 123 network will use Indefeasible Right to Use (IRU) agreements to lease existing fiber to create redundant pathways back to Boston. A map showing the fiber IRUs is located on the MBI Web site.

Q. When will grant award for $45 million be announced?

A. We have completed the due diligence review process and are waiting for a decision from the NTIA. We have not been given a timetable for the decision but we do know that money has to be committed by NTIA by September 30, 2010. [Ed. Note: MBI got their grant award since this was written!]

Q. When is build out of middle mile?

A. The NTIA has mandated that any network built with American Reinvestment and Recovery Act funds as part of the NTIAs Broadband Technology Opportunity Program must be substantially complete (67%) within 2 years and fully complete within 3 years. The MassBroadband 123 network will be complete within the federal guidelines.

Q. Is it the recent survey to towns that is being used to identify the holes [Ed. Note: presumably this means gaps in service]?

A. Congress passed the Broadband Data Improvement Act in 2008 to facilitate the collection of complete and accurate data about existing broadband infrastructure and connectivity. The recent statewide survey to municipalities is part of the MBIs State Broadband Data and Development grant. This information will be used to better identify unserved and underserved community anchor institutions as part of the national effort. The MBI and sister division, the John Adams Institute have been working with communities since 2007 to understand the gaps in service. The MassBroadband 123 grant proposal will bring fiber-optic connectivity to 1,392 anchor institutions across the project area. The survey information will help us refine the un and underserved areas.

Q. How are they doing the mapping that is going to facilitate planning for the last mile?

A. The State Broadband Data and Development grant will allow the MBI to collect and verify provider data at a much more granular level than previously possible. This information once verified will provide a more accurate assessment of broadband availability including technology. This is a multi-year grant which allows for the verification and refinement of the information.

Q. How do we find out where DCR towers are located?

A. Anyone interested in learning more about or utilizing the DCR fire towers should contact the MBI directly.