SHELBURNE — If all goes well, nearly all of Shelburne could have high-speed broadband Comcast Cable access by year’s end — ahead of schedule, according to Michael Duffy, chairman of the town Cable Advisory Committee.
Duffy told the Board of Selectmen this week that Comcast has already submitted its “make ready” requests to utility pole owners Verizon and Eversource. And, if the make-ready work is completed by spring, Comcast could finish its expansion roughly six months ahead of its August 2018 contracted deadline.
The Comcast proposal extends the Shelburne cable to an additional 168 locations over an 18-mile area, according to Duffy. That includes about 156 more residences and 12 commercial premises. That would bring high speed internet access to about 96.6 percent of all premises in the town.
“This was the Selectboard’s number one priority,” said Selectman Joseph Judd. “Under Mike Duffy’s leadership, they’ve brought this to a point where we couldn’t be more pleased. We could not be more proud of what they’ve accomplished,” Judd said. “High speed is here.”
Duffy said the remaining areas without cable access include 26 premises. Some of these receive their utility services through Colrain, which doesn’t have a contract with Comcast. He said the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative has prepared a separate agreement for unserved towns like Colrain that might allow for broadband service providers to cross town borders in limited situations, with permission by that town’s selectmen.
A Comcast map of the town and where high-speed internet access is, or will be available, can be viewed in the town clerk’s office during office hours.