Massachusetts officials are on a mission to bring last-mile broadband to 53 unserved and-underserved communities, reported Government Technology. The state’s Last Mile Program began in 2016, aiming to build out broadband to 44 rural communities with no service and nine with limited access. The program allowed municipalities to adopt different approaches, such as locally owned networks, partnerships with private industry, and collaborations across several towns.
Since 2016, the state has invested $57 million in the program. According to Gov. Charlie Baker, the effort has seen 46 of the targeted communities become fully connected, and the remaining seven are well on their way. Baker noted that the state should receive $350 million in federal funds through the bipartisan Infrastructure Law and other federal grants.
As a next step, officials and community partners are working on closing final connectivity gaps, addressing the lack of devices, and providing digital literacy education. “I think we’ve already laid a platform here and a set of toolkits around how to do this work that can be enormously helpful,” Baker said.
The state is also creating a digital equity plan, a five-year broadband infrastructure action plan, and a new mapping tool to pinpoint remaining connectivity gaps, reported Government Technology. Many residents are experiencing positive impacts as a result of last-mile connections. Pros include the ability to “work from home, download large files without issues, and stream video without it pausing to buffer,” said Kevin Donovan, chair of the Tolland Broadband Committee.
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