Regarding Article 49 on the Montague Town Meeting Warrant: The Municipal Lighting Plant. In the most recent BroadBand Committee meeting, we voted to hold off on implementing the MLP, as unnecessary at this time. We might need it in the future, and that option remains open. Before then, it’s just an expense and yet another committee.
Before we need an MLP, we have to answer these questions: 1. Is there a need? Our information is that, historically, an overbuild of a second network will only get 30 percent of the potential subscribers; 2, Is it affordable? We estimate that a town wide fiber network will cost between $5 million and $6 million; 3, Is there money for it? The committee spent four years researching funding for a town wide network. No private company would participate without a significant subsidy. The state is funding Comcast cable, not fiber.
We haven’t found any federal money for an overlay. That leaves the town as the remaining source of funding, or individual subscribers in advance of any construction.
While we still believe fiber is superior, Montague has other pressing needs, including the DPW building and the Strathmore complex. If anyone wants to pursue town-wide fiber, they don’t need an MLP as a vehicle to do the hard work of getting support, designing the network, estimating the costs, proving that there’s a demand, and securing funding. If all that works out, an MLP could be quickly implemented then. In the meantime, we’ll keep the pressure on Comcast to deliver on its promises. We respectfully suggest a “no” vote.
Robert J. Steinberg
Montague Broadband Committee