From the Boston Globe... -ac
Internet yearning in Western Mass. hills
Two towns forge an alliance in hopes of bringing in broadband
In Shutesbury and Leverett, Western Massachusetts hill towns thick with
telecommuters and self-employed transplants from urban areas, Goldman
shares an unwanted bond with exasperated neighbors: They inhabit an
island in Massachusetts where high-speed Internet service is not
available, either via telephone lines or by cable.
''It's like the land that time forgot," said Glen Ayers, computer system
manager at the Village Co-op food store in Leverett.
With savvy young professionals eager to take up the cause, the two towns
have banded together to fight for faster service.
A broadband committee, formed by Leverett and Shutesbury officials more
than two years ago, has lobbied the state's major providers of Internet
service and has investigated home-grown alternatives such as a locally
funded fiber network. Leaders say the results have been disappointing.
<snip>
No cable company offers service in Leverett and Shutesbury, and
one-third of all Western Massachusetts towns are in the same boat,
according to the Franklin Regional Council Of Governments. The council,
based in Greenfield, is spearheading efforts to close the broadband gap;
it estimates that almost 30 towns in Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, and
Hampshire counties have no high-speed Internet option from any phone or
cable company.
<snip>
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2005/08/24/internet_yearning_in_western_mass_hills/
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Andy Carvin
Program Director
EDC Center for Media & Community
acarvin @ edc . org
http://www.digitaldivide.net
http://www.tsunami-info.org
Blog: http://www.andycarvin.com
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