Massachusetts quest to connect 53 unserved towns is almost complete

Massachusetts officials revealed an effort to close last mile broadband gaps in 53 un- and underserved towns in the western half of the state is nearly complete after seven years of work. Launched in 2016, the state’s Last Mile Program offered grant funding to support co-investment in broadband network rollouts to cover 44 unserved towns in western and central Massachusetts and nine communities only partially served by cable. Governor Charlie Baker (R-MA) said service is now available in all 53 last-mile towns. Work in 46 of the communities is fully complete, while the remaining seven are only partially lit. Deployments are still in progress in Egremont, Florida, Hawley, Monroe, Monterey, Royalston, and Savoy. The projects in Florida, Hawley, Monroe, and Savoy are being completed in partnership with regional broadband provider, WiValley, while work in Royalston is being done by Charter Communications. Egremont and Monterey are pursuing other unspecified project pathways. Gov Baker said the Last Mile Program projects have collectively involved the rollout of 40,000 telephone poles and 2,000 miles of fiber to reach around 26,000 households and small businesses. The state has spent about $57 million on the initiative. Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito (R-MA) said the state's playbook for the Last Mile Program can serve as a template for how others can use the federal funding coming down the pipe from the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program.