GREENFIELD — Greenfield Community Energy and Technology, or GCET, is officially up, running and providing internet service in a handful of residential homes around the town.
This comes after years of planning with the town, dating back to general manager Daniel Kelley’s work with Mayor William Martin in 2011.
“It’s a huge sense of relief,” Kelley said. “You see it all come together and it’s pretty powerful.”
He added that the early installation phase has been going better than expected, but asks for patience as the town works to complete the installation phase by the end of 2017.
Starting this week — the internet service provider, which has promised lower rates and faster speeds than its competition — began its endeavor in the area of Hope and James streets.
Between two crews working together, GCET is being installed in about four to five homes a day, said Kelley.
GCET is primarily deciding where it will next install its residential services based on concentrated demand from an area or a block.
For now, anyone interested in getting GCET for their home can call up and leave a $45 deposit. Kelley says this helps them gauge where to look to start installing next. As of Wednesday, the company has taken about 240 deposits, Kelley said.
The installation fee is $99 and takes about an hour and a half. Residents can pick from one of three primary packages GCET offers. Most people will likely take the basic package, which is $29.95 a month for 30 megabits upload and 30 megabits download speed — sufficient to stream video from two to three devices at home. The next package costs $39.95 a month and the third and top package is $59.95 a month, with 150 megabits of upload and download speeds, which is particularly good for heavy gamers Kelley said.
Residents in homes will also have to pay a $5.95 or $9.95 per month fee for GCET’s modem, People who have their own router for WiFi and would like to use that can pay the $5.95 per month fee.
Seven businesses also have GCET installed so far. Soon the company will be installing on Main Street, Kelley said.
Currently people around Main Street can have access to free WiFi provided by GCET for their mobile device. That service will remain until 70 to 80 percent of the town has wireless connectivity. Then GCET will put out a notice alerting people they will be ending the free WiFi service around Main Street, Kelley said.
Once GCET has 70 to 80 percent of the area of the town with wireless internet connectivity, then people will have the option to purchase a $10 a month option, where they can get 30 megabits of upload and download speed to one mobile device nearly anywhere in town.
Reach Joshua Solomon at:
jsolomon@recorder.com
413-772-0261, ext. 264