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Date: 3/8/2023
SPRINGFIELD — City Council President and 2023 mayoral candidate Jesse Lederman has sent a letter to the offices of Gov. Maura Healey and the federal state delegation urging for more funding resources to improve internet access.
With additional financing, Lederman hopes for the city to develop a municipal fiber internet network in Springfield. The development of this service also continues to be an ongoing focus of Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno.
In his letter to government officials, Lederman noted that 54 percent of Springfield households lack access to broadband-speed internet. A lack of consistent internet services for residents is a significant problem from Lederman’s viewpoint, especially when considering society’s increased reliance on technology.
“The internet has become an essential utility for families and businesses, and people are tired of being nickel and dimed when it comes to internet access. Springfield residents and businesses deserve options when it comes to their internet service. A municipal internet network would put the public in the driver seat when it comes to ensuring affordable and capable internet access,” said Lederman.
Lederman stressed that internet is a matter of “equity, justice and future opportunity for our community.”
Lederman has been helping to lay the groundwork for a municipal internet option since 2020. That year, he led a coalition of local elected officials to pass City Council resolutions in Springfield, West Springfield and Holyoke in opposition to the Comcast/Xfinity data caps and in favor of exploring alternative internet options. In 2021, Lederman rallied the same coalition for a virtual forum on municipal internet with industry experts.
The topic of municipal internet is also expected to be a focus of the Working Group on Digital Equity and Internet Access — a spin-off from 2022’s Working Group on Civic Engagement that spotlights the perspective of Springfield residents. The group’s work is expected to begin in the near future after the deadline for group member submissions ended on Feb. 14.
Communities such as Chicopee, Westfield and South Hadley are in varying stages of implementing municipal fiber internet services. Lederman said these communities are providing a “better service at a lower cost than what is available to our community.”
Lederman acknowledges that there are challenges in installing municipal internet services in Springfield.
“Construction of such a network in a larger urban center like Springfield presents unique fiscal and technical challenges that are not present in wealthier suburban communities,” said Lederman.
For that reason, he is requesting state and federal funds to help jump-start the process.
“As the state and federal government continue to consider expenditure of [coronavirus] pandemic recovery and infrastructure dollars, now is the time to be advocating for this investment. It’s vital to ensure we remain competitive economically, educationally and technologically,” said Lederman.
In his efforts to secure a municipal internet service, Sarno announced plans for a feasibility study on municipal broadband in 2021. That feasibility study has since been completed.
In February 2022, Sarno agreed to a non-exclusive contract with Comcast for the next 10 years. The new, non-exclusive arrangement allows the city to pursue its own fiber broadband service.
“I appreciate Comcast’s past efforts … Some of the other local surrounding towns and cities have done their own fiber or are looking into doing their own fiber network, so I told my team, ‘I want you to commission a study looking to do our own fiber network.’ Competition is good in this case when it comes to technology,” said Sarno in a February 2022 interview with Reminder Publishing.
In a statement to Reminder Publishing, Sarno detailed the ongoing progress with the city’s pursuit of municipal internet. The mayor stressed that the project has the potential to “transform” the city.
“Superfast fiber broadband has the potential to transform our Springfield and this feasibility study will help to identify and assess how best to advance this effort and the cost associated with this type of infrastructure improvements,” said Sarno.
Sarno also shared that his administration is working extensively to secure various state and federal funding resources for municipal internet.
“My administration has already been reviewing and exploring potential funding sources for each of the stages needed to implement our own municipal fiber network, including securing a total of $1.25 million in the state’s IT bond bill for various initiatives to support a citywide fiber network. In addition, I have already had conversations with Congressman Richard Neal about securing federal support and funding as we continue to put the pieces of this puzzle together,” said Sarno.