[Ww-snww-regional-list] WiredWest-MBI Situation

Tom Wyatt tom at tomwyattphoto.com
Thu Mar 12 18:50:23 EDT 2015


Robbie et al,

Good thoughts. I am concerned, much as I don't like to be, that more back
and forth on these issues could be considered open meeting law violations. I
will bring Robbie letter to the meeting tomorrow.
Tom

-----Original Message-----
From: ww-snww-regional-list
[mailto:ww-snww-regional-list-bounces at deepsoft.com] On Behalf Of Robbie
Leppzer
Sent: Thursday, March 12, 2015 12:07 PM
To: ww-snww-regional-list at deepsoft.com
Subject: [Ww-snww-regional-list] WiredWest-MBI Situation

Hi All,
 
            As one who is not an official WiredWest delegate, and since I
will not be able to attend Friday's meeting due to another commitment, I
offer the following perspectives to those that will be attending Friday's
meeting as a founding member of WiredWest and as the chair of Wendell's
Broadband Committee:
 
            It seems that David Greenberg's proposed solution to have
WiredWest contract out for a limited time to a network operator/ISP/CLEC is
a reasonable one.  (See below).
 
            Maybe this could be offered as a "compromise" to the MBI in
return for MBI to recognize WiredWest under the old MOU.
 
            It's seems that we, as WiredWest, have some leverage here, as we
are the voice of the towns, and we are getting actual customers to sign up,
and we will be the ones to get the towns to put up real money.
 
            Unless, the towns through WiredWest, has a major seat at the
table - and not being sidelined by MBI, which appears to be what is
happening, the future of the whole project is in jeopardy.
 
            I think WiredWest needs to take a strong stand about this.
 
            I think getting Stan Rosenberg to help will be crucial. 
 
            Given Gov. Baker's stated public support for bringing fiber
optic broadband to unserved towns in Western Mass, his administration
doesn't want to see this project go down, so we do have leverage here!
 
Robbie Leppzer

Chair, Wendell Broadband Committee
(978) 544-8313
robbie at turningtide.com

---------

From: "Tom Wyatt" <tom at tomwyattphoto.com>
Date: March 12, 2015 9:30:09 AM EDT
To: <ww-snww-regional-list at deepsoft.com>
Subject: Re: [Ww-snww-regional-list] WW Executive Meeting Friday 11:30 in
Noho - one view

Below is an email sent by David Greenberg, the WiredWest (WW) delegate from
Colrain, to the Northern Tier WW cluster. This is one delegate's view and
NOT posted here to start discussion, that would be an open meeting law
violation. But it gives more perspective the issues facing the WW Executive
Committee and Board of Directors.. Tom Wyatt
 
As many of you who were at the Board of Directors (BoD) meeting last
Saturday know, the MBI has said that it no longer wants to sign a Memorandum
of Understanding with us. Instead, they will be encouraging all towns to
submit grant applications in order to get the money that was promised to us.
The grants can be submitted from an individual town or from a consortium of
towns, such as WW, but in either case, I think we will probably be asked how
we are going to provide services if MBI builds the network for us.
 
I would like to suggest that we strongly urge our towns to stick with WW,
BUT, I also strongly think that we need to convince WW that it is in
everyone's best interest to hire a third party, with substantial experience
as a network operator (NO) and/or as an ISP/CLEC, to run our network and
supply services on it. If WW really wants to be the NO and the ISP/CLEC,
then why not sign a three year contract with someone like Crocker, as
Leverett has, learn how it's done and then take it over later.
 
The next few months are going to be a crucial time for this entire project.
I'd like to suggest two things: that we fill the vacant seats on the EC
(Executive Committee) and that as many of us as possible attend the EC
meetings so we can help support their work and gain a better understanding
of the complicated issues involved. I would support anyone who wants to be
on the EC. I would also be willing to represent our interests on the EC if
that makes sense to people. In the interest of full disclosure, I should say
that I was the Chair of the EC during the early period of WW's existence.
 
WW has accomplished an amazing amount given that we are an all-volunteer
organization. We sought attention to our plight from our legislators and
Boston and we've certainly achieved that fundamental goal. In my opinion, I
never saw WW as becoming a network operator or an ISP; in fact, at the
beginning, we talked about having an open network where all sorts of
providers could provide all sorts of services. I believe that the MBI is
quite impressed with WW as a political organization that has organized 44
towns to pursue a common goal. However, I think they are less than thrilled
with the prospect of us being an NO or an ISP/CLEC for the simple reason
that we have no experience running such a vast operation and the MBI
certainly does not want to see this experiment fail any more than we do. As
we have to answer to our townspeople, they also have people to whom they
have to answer.

Sorry for such a long post, but this stuff has been weighing on me. I
welcome your comments. If any of you can make it, the next EC meeting is
this Friday, 11:30 am at 99 Main St., Northampton.

David G.
From: ww-snww-regional-list
[mailto:ww-snww-regional-list-bounces at deepsoft.com] On Behalf Of Tom Wyatt
Sent: Wednesday, March 11, 2015 10:01 PM
To: ww-snww-regional-list at deepsoft.com
Subject: [Ww-snww-regional-list] WW Executive Meeting Friday 11:30 in Noho
 
Just a note to delegates & alternates that the WiredWest Executive Committee
will be meeting this Friday at 11:30am at 99 Main St. in Northampton. My
understanding is that WW Exec. Board members met with MBI today, following
up on the potential changes to the MOU and grant process, as was discussed
at Saturday's Board of Director's meeting in Shutesbury. These are critical
issues at a critical time that affect the whole regional network and its
success. I encourage those that are available to come on Friday to support
the Executive Committee as it sorts through our options to help carry out
our goals. Details of the open meeting are at:
http://wiredwest.net/value-mission-and-values/wired-west-meeting-calendar/
 
Tom Wyatt
Alternate Delegate, Warwick
413-768-8641(c)   978-544-3911 (h)
http://tomwyattphoto.com/
 
 
 
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