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| By Dan Cooper Staff Intern CHICOPEE Mayor Michael Bissonette and Holyoke Mayor Michael Sullivan announced at a Feb. 26 press conference that the cities have joined forces to provide fiber optic Internet services to Chicopee businesses. The two made the announcement at First American Insurance Agency on Front Street, the first major business to be connected through fiber optic service. "The program involves Holyoke Gas & Electric leasing available fiber optic from Chicopee with the Chicopee Electric Light Department (CELD) then reselling it to businesses here," Bissonnette said. Bissonette said the program is costing the city nothing. "We are actually saving money and these facilities make significant contributions to the community," he said. Sullivan said this is the type of collaboration communities work for to benefit the general area. "High speed internet access has been a boom for businesses," he said. "We need to work collaboratively. I see no reason for a competitive advantage," Sullivan said. Bissonette said that there is no geographical difference in the job market. "Political leaders in western Massachusetts are concerned about three things: jobs, jobs, and jobs," he said. "We are able to offer this to businesses at very competitive prices and the city of Chicopee will bring this to the wall to try and get more businesses on board," Bissonette said. "Now we need to go out and market this." Jeffrey Cady, General Manager of Chicopee Electric Light, said, "In 2002, we put fiber optics in for our own services. Now we have a network built throughout the city." Kenneth Krech, Information Technology director for the city of Chicopee, said that the 32 departments in the city are connected through fiber, including the landfill and school systems. "It is something very reliable," Krech said. "100 percent of the city is up on fiber." Bissonette added that it is the first time in the city's history that it is connected on one system. Cady said any business interested in getting connected through fiber- optics should contact CELD. "The price of the connection depends on the service," Cady said. "There are different types of fiber that don't have the same capacity as others." Cady said it takes two to three weeks to complete the installation of fiber optics. "We have to survey the land and get the contracts signed. It's splicing the system together that takes time though," Cady told Reminder Publications after the press conference. Corey Murphy, the Vice President of First American, said "We can get our information faster through fiber," he said. Murphy said First American couldn't afford to not have Internet access. "The investment was made to benefit our customers," Murphy said. |