[Ww-snww-regional-list] Fwd: FW: Greenfield RECORDER - Wed. Apr. 29, 2015 READERS WRITE - "WiredWest" Letters
MaryEllen Kennedy
maryellen.kennedy at gmail.com
Wed Apr 29 08:11:10 EDT 2015
FYI some rebuttals in the Recorder
On Wed, Apr 29, 2015 at 8:05 AM, David <chonyid at gmail.com> wrote:
> These letters are in today’s Greenfield Recorder. Thanks Steve.
>
> David
>
>
> *The WiredWest effort*
>
> In his letter of April 21, Hussain A. Hamdan of Hawley made inflammatory
> accusations about the municipal cooperative WiredWest. They “flagrantly
> disregard reality” and “have repeatedly done this.” They “have conjured
> unsubstantiated hysteria.” They have made a “dubious claim” about fiber
> broadband that is “patently false.”
>
> Hawley is one of 32 WiredWest member towns working together to implement a
> regional fiber broadband network to serve homes, businesses and other
> organizations in western Massachusetts. Nearly 5,000 people, a number
> climbing daily, have made a refundable $49 deposit to bring the network to
> their towns.
>
> Most of those towns will be voting on a warrant article at town meeting to
> authorize borrowing funds to contribute to the project, about 35 percent of
> the cost of which will be underwritten by the state. Because of the costs
> Hawley faces due to its topography and sparse population, the town is
> questioning whether this is a commitment it is prepared to make at this
> time.
>
> Hamdan urges towns to look at new technologies other than fiber, although
> those he cites have not proven workable other than on a limited basis. On
> the other hand, fiber has been deployed for decades, and in the U.S. and
> around the world there is a mass transition to fiber as the predominant
> platform for delivering services such as broadband and television.
> WiredWest and nearly all of its member towns believe that it is the best
> and safest investment towns can make to implement a long-term solution for
> their telecommunications needs.
>
> Reasonable people can and should question the costs and benefits of the
> WiredWest network, as they do in our frequent meetings with citizens and
> town officials throughout the region. But as a law student, Mr. Hamdan
> should know better than to heedlessly hurl invective as he did in his
> letter.
>
> * STEVE NELSON Legal/Governance Chair, WiredWest Washington*
>
>
> *Keep options open*
>
> Interesting article by Richie Davis on the cost of “Broadband’s Last Few
> Inches” and Phil Keenan’s comments were right on.
>
> I would love to have broadband in Hawley and have “subscribed” with my $49
> (refundable if this goes nowhere). But at the present cost figures I would
> have to vote against the bond financing issue and I have to assume so would
> the majority of Hawley voters.
>
> But let’s talk about the $49 subscription and the sought for 40 percent
> level. WiredWest says that if that figure is not achieved they will walk
> away. Let’s face it though, if that figure is not achieved, we would have
> virtually no chance attracting anyone else to service Hawley. Why would
> they, with so few people expressing interest? We would have eliminated our
> options.
>
> What is really needed is more outside funding.
>
> My feeling is that should you have any desire to have (reasonably priced)
> broadband, send in your (refundable) $49. We will all have the opportunity
> to say “NO” at the appropriate time when the bond issue comes up for a
> vote. Remember that requires am twothirds vote. Now is not that time.
>
> Let’s do the smart thing and take this one step at a time.
>
> Step 1: Get 40 percent sign up.
>
> Step 2: Get more funding Step 3: Vote the bond issue Let’s not lock the
> door prematurely.
>
> * HENRY EGGERT Hawley*
>
--
MaryEllen Kennedy
maryellen.kennedy at gmail.com
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