Broadband

[mdo...@crocker.com]

Governor Patrick takes steps to secure federal recovery funding for
broadband expansion
Holds broadband development forum, unveils interactive mapping tool at
New Salem town hall

NEW SALEM – Tuesday, May 26, 2009 – As part of his Massachusetts
Recovery Plan to secure the state's economic future, Governor Deval
Patrick today held a broadband development forum in Western
Massachusetts where he moved to secure federal recovery funding for
broadband expansion in the Commonwealth and unveiled a new interactive
mapping tool to help further the Patrick-Murray administration's
efforts to bring high-speed Internet to communities across the state.

“Increased broadband availability leads to new jobs, better health
care, and stronger public education services throughout
Massachusetts,” said Governor Patrick. “We appreciate the strong
support from civic and industry leaders, as well as citizens
throughout Massachusetts as we expand broadband access in every
community in the Commonwealth.”

Joined by state and local officials at New Salem Town Hall, Governor
Patrick expressed his intention to designate the Massachusetts
Broadband Institute (MBI) as the "eligible entity" for broadband
mapping funds available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act (ARRA). Established through a law the Governor proposed and
signed last year, the MBI is responsible for accelerating broadband
expansion in communities without high-speed Internet access by
overseeing investments in infrastructure assets such as fiber-optic
cables and wireless towers.

As part of the broadband forum, Governor Patrick unveiled a new
interactive mapping tool using Google mapping technology that enables
users to pinpoint their homes, businesses, or schools location on a
map and enter their current mode of access to the Internet. Made
possible by the MBI and the Massachusetts Geographic Information
System, the technology will further the Governor and Legislature's
efforts to bring broadband to every corner of the Commonwealth.

"It is critically important that decision makers have a clear
understanding of exactly where broadband is accessible and where it is
not," said Congressman John Olver. "The MBI's mapping program will
provide us with the information we need to put together a thoughtful,
coordinated plan of attack to ensure that all of our communities have
access."

"More accurate mapping will help us to speed deployment of broadband
in unserved areas of the state,” said MBI Director Sharon Gillett.
“Residents, business owners, and others can now communicate directly
with the MBI regarding their access, or lack of access, to broadband
at the street address level, which will help us determine how to
deploy broadband infrastructure and technologies.”

In keeping with his commitment to make broadband accessible and
affordable, Governor Patrick is working with Congressman Olver,
members of the Congressional delegation, and leaders in the Obama
Administration to bring federal recovery funding to Massachusetts.
ARRA provides for $7.2 billion to improve broadband access nationwide,
including $350 million for grants to states to develop comprehensive
broadband maps over the next two years.

Today, the Governor also designated the MBI as the Commonwealth’s
aggregator for a coordinated filing to the National Telecommunications
and Information Administration for broadband competitive grant
applications to ensure a balanced portfolio of applications that will
meet the Commonwealth’s diverse broadband needs.

Over 25,000 businesses and 221,000 households are located in the 95
Massachusetts communities that lack adequate broadband because they
have either limited or no broadband availability whatsoever. Studies
show that communities with broadband access experience measurable
increases in jobs, business expansion, and property values. Other
broadband-enabled benefits include improvements in public safety and
access to health care, educational opportunities, and civic
participation.
Broadband investments are critical components of Governor Patrick’s
Massachusetts Recovery Plan <http://www.mass.gov/recovery> , which
combines state, federal and, where possible, private efforts to
provide immediate and long-term relief and position the Commonwealth
for recovery in the following ways:
Deliver immediate relief by investing in the road, bridge and rail
projects that put people to work today and providing safety net
services that sustain people who are especially vulnerable during an
economic crisis;
Build a better tomorrow through education and infrastructure
investments that strengthen our economic competitiveness, prepare
workers for the jobs of the future, and support clean energy,
broadband, and technology projects that cut costs while growing the
economy; and
Reform state government by eliminating the pension and ethics
loopholes that discredit the work of government and revitalize the
transportation networks that have suffered from decades of neglect and
inaction.
For more information, please visit www.mass.gov/recovery <http://
www.mass.gov/recovery> and www.massbroadband.org <http://
www.massbroadband.org/> .