Communities [Broad]Banding Together Boosts Local Economies

Faced with what they perceived as increasing abandonment by large telecom and cable incumbents, 47 communities in western Massachusetts banded together to create their own broadband solution. Their story is fascinating, instructional and motivational for communities wishing to follow the same path.

Monica Webb has led Wired West, the consortium of towns and townships, in their successful drive to unify divergent interests and political jurisdictions. Webb explains to listeners how to get communities in such an arrangement singing from the same broadband strategy page.

This interview addresses how to overcome political, logistical and operational challenges in regional approaches to getting broadband deployed.