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Date: 7/22/2022
WILBRAHAM – The process of adopting municipal broadband in Wilbraham has turned a corner and the Broadband Committee will soon be asking for young people to help design a logo.
“A lot of progress has been made over the past few years,” said Mat Nelson, vice-chair of the Wilbraham Broadband Committee. After a Broadband Master Plan was released in March 2021, the committee disbanded for a time, having completed its objective. It reformed itself in late May of this year to take the next steps in creating a municipal broadband system. The committee is now pivoting from research and planning to engagement and marketing of the future service.
“We’re on the on-ramp to speed up the project,” Nelson said, noting that a request for proposals will soon be sent out to fiber optic technology vendors. The committee is currently looking at the topography of the town and how to build the infrastructure, including whether to place it underground or use overhead wires.
Nelson is not sure how long it will be until installation of the system begins but expects it to be “sooner rather than later,” considering the amount of time the project has been under development. Depending on the level of interest, the committee may have to create a waitlist for installation.
There are also efforts in the works to generate excitement and interest among homeowners in installing fiber infrastructure. Nelson said houses that have fiber infrastructure can use it as a selling point when they sell their homes.
Another way to drum up interest in the system is through the creation of a brand and logo to market it. The first step in that process is the creation of a logo that will appear on T-shirts, bumper stickers, signs, among other things.
“We don’t want it throw it out there for a firm to produce,” Nelson said. Instead, the committee plans to host a contest for Wilbraham youth to design the logo. Nelson said it is a way to get young people and families engaged and familiar with the future system. The Broadband Committee has been approaching local businesses to donate contest prizes.
“There’s a dual win here,” Nelson said, “not only for youth to get their artwork out there, but also for businesses to get their names out.”
When the contest is open, Nelson said there will be more news on where artwork can be submitted. The committee will decide dates for the contest at its next meeting on July 28 at 6 p.m.
For more information about broadband in Wilbraham, visit www.wilbrahamfiber.com.