The reconstituted Wilbraham Broadband Advisory Committee was convened in April, has been meeting since June, and a lot has been done. We are building support in the community and we are excited about what’s going to happen in 2023.
With the help of Entry Point Networks, we have a master plan to make broadband internet a reality in Wilbraham. The Broadband Master Plan and other resources are available at www.wilbrahamfiber.com
Currently, the main areas of focus for the Broadband Committee are:
Community education and outreach efforts are ongoing. We had a table at Minnechaug HS on Election Day to answer questions and to ask people to show their interest by signing up on the broadband website www.wilbrahamfiber.com.
We are planning similar events throughout 2023 including the Town Meeting, Fountain Park Concert Series, Peach Festival, Election Day, Holiday Tree Lighting, and the Farmers Market.
Working with Nick Breault, the Town Manager, and the Board of Selectmen, we have begun the process of hiring an Owner’s Project Manager (OPM) who will manage the activities required to make the project a reality. The OPM will help us determine construction and operational needs such as staffing, physical locations, tech support, and outside vendor and contractor selections.
We are investigating public funding from federal and state sources.
We are working to have a series of free-standing kiosks in public locations to make it easy for people to show their interests.
The committee has been holding online and in-person meetings with resident participants. We look forward to continued support in making the project a success and invite you to contact us anytime.