HAWLEY — Hawley voters will start the ball rolling on high-speed internet at a special town meeting Monday beginning at 7 p.m. in the Town Office.
One article asks voters if the Selectboard should pursue installation of a wireless high- speed internet system with WiValley of Keene, N.H., subject to state funding by the Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI).
Also, residents will vote on whether to let the town borrow up to $495,000 in anticipation of MBI reimbursement for installation of a wireless high-speed internet system. However, the money would not be borrowed until the town has MBI funding approval.
A third article asks voters to transfer $25,000 from the General Stabilization Fund to pay for the balance of the installation of a wireless high-speed internet system.
Several options are under consideration at the moment and changes to the posted articles regarding the installation vendor may be initiated, according to town officials.
For now, the WiValley is the only company that has made a formal offer to the rural hilltowns. However, the town will hear more from another wireless broadband company — Redzone Wireless of Maine.
President and founder Jim McKenna said the company will make a presentation in the Town Office on Thursday, May 24, at 6 p.m. According to Broadband Committee Chairman Kirby “Lark” Thwing, Redzone Wireless is interested in writing a proposal for wireless internet for Hawley, Monroe, Florida and Savoy.
Thwing said Redzone already has about 225,000 subscribers in rural Maine and provides 4G LTE (which stands for fourth generation/long-term evolution — a phrase for high-speed data for phones and other devices) fixed wireless. He said the company uses towers for broadband connectivity and could have a large percentage of the four towns online within six months. The remaining unserved homes would have high-speed internet access within a year, as towers needed to bring service to them are built and installed.
McKenna says his company has had about 10 years of experience building fixed wireless internet systems in rural, heavily forested towns.
