HAWLEY — Since Hawley has been exploring wireless broadband as a less costly alternative to fiber, the Board of Selectmen may vote Wednesday night to withdraw from WiredWest, the collaborative municipal group formed in 2011 to bring high-speed internet to rural western Massachusetts towns that have no access.
The selectmen’s meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Town Office.
Kirby “Lark” Thwing Jr., Hawley’s WiredWest delegate, said WiredWest has been going through a process of reorganization this year and, with some towns deciding to “go their own way” in pursuing broadband funding from the state, has had difficulties meeting the required quorum of members needed to hold its meetings. He said the collaborative “is faced with the prospect of reducing the size of its membership in order to function as a legal entity.”
“Since Hawley is one of the towns that is clearly going in the direction of wireless rather than fiber-to-the-home, it only makes sense that it would be one of those towns that would be asked to leave, as happened about two weeks ago,” he said.
At its 2015 annual town meeting, Hawley vetoed the idea of spending $1 million as its share of a $1.5 million fiber optic network, to serve about 324 residents.
For the last eight months, Hawley has been host to between six to eight several small towns that are part of a Hybrid-Wireless Working Group.
If Hawley withdraws, WiredWest will send letters to all in Hawley who pre-subscribed for WiredWest high-speed internet service by paying a $49 deposit, detailing the process for a refund.
Hawley is working on a Readiness Assessment form for the Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI), and the plan it submitted is for wireless broadband.
According to Broadband Committee Chairman Rick Kean, the committee met Monday with Cornell Robinson of MBI to go over the readiness information required.
Under the old last-mile fiber optic plan, Hawley was to qualify for $250,000 in MBI construction funds and — if Hawley’s network is designed by MBI, Hawley would get another $250,000 worth of MBI services, including design and project management.
If Hawley’s wireless broadband qualifies for this same level of MBI funding, it’s possible the town won’t have to raise a bond or pay for it with town tax dollars because the wireless network is expected to cost less than $500,000.
Kean said Hawley officials asked to receive the full funding and “they didn’t turn us down. We would love to get that level of help. After this meeting, I’m very hopeful. Very pleased,” Kean said.
But one remaining question is whether Hawley would gain enough subscribers to make the system financially sustainable.
Thwing said about 85 households had indicated they were willing to subscribe for broadband services that cost $49 per month (which was WiredWest’s cost estimate for basic service in a 33-town regional network). But the monthly rate for Hawley’s wireless broadband might be around $100 per month, depending on whether it has enough users to meet operating costs and maintenance.
Thwing said the town hopes to take another town survey later this year, to determine how many households would subscribe to broadband services, even if they cost more than $49 per month.