Rindge is officially pursuing a contract with Consolidated Communications to provide broadband to every household in town – but first they must race to have everything in place before March Town Meeting.
During its meeting on Wednesday, the Select Board officially voted to support the Teltech Committee’s recommendation of a proposal from Consolidated Communications to build a fiber internet network to provide broadband speeds – defined as 25 megabits download and three megabits upload – or better to every home in Rindge.
The board also directed the Teltech Committee to begin official contract negotiations with Consolidated Communications.
The Consolidated proposal would require the town to bond $2.58 million, which would be paid back through a monthly fee capped at $9.50, and paid only by those who subscribe to the new broadband service. If there are not enough customers to make the full payment, Consolidated Communications would pay the remainder, meaning there are no tax dollars attached to the bond.
Select Board Chair Bob Hamilton said in an interview Thursday that residents have long struggled with internet service, but providers haven’t been interested in making the investment required for a small customer base that’s as spread out as Rindge’s population.
Hamilton said residents have been crying out for high-speed internet, including himself.
“Since we moved here in 1985, we haven’t had real internet service. It’s been very tough,” he said. “We learned to adjust, but a lot of people, they want that high-speed data and are willing to pay a premium for it.”
Rindge is one of several towns exploring a partnership with Consolidated Communications after the state passed a bill permitting towns to bond for internet services last year. Dublin has also entered contract negotiations with Consolidated, and Hancock has also asked for proposals from internet companies to ask for plans to provide broadband.
On Dec. 20, Dana Primiano of the Hancock Telecommunications Committee said that the committee is still in conversation with a couple carriers in the wake of their request for proposals, which wrapped up on Nov. 26. “It will be a while before we work out a solution,” he said.
Hancock already has a carrier with a large footprint in town, he said, which makes it difficult to find a different carrier that might be willing to fill in the unserved portion of town. That makes a big difference between Hancock’s process and another town with a higher percentage of unserved households, he said.
The bill was meant to provide towns an avenue to get access to broadband, when providing broadband infrastructure to rural communities is too costly for internet providers to have an interest.
“They always go for the low-hanging fruit, they’ll go to the orchard where they can get the most for their money,” Hamilton said.
In order to build the infrastructure, the town must first pass the $2.58 million bond, by a three-fifths vote at the polls. Hamilton said the Teltech Committee is working with consolidated with the goal of having a warrant article prepared for the town’s bond hearing in mid-January.
“That’s the hope,” he said.