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Block Island, a small island off the coast of Rhode Island, is home to that state's first municipal fiber-to-the-home network. And after two years of preparation and construction, the first customers are about to be hooked up to service. The Block Island network is a public-private partnership between the Town of New Shoreham, owner of the network known as Broadband BI, and Crocker Communications, which will provide direct customer support and billing. Another company, Sertex Broadband Solutions, was responsible for network construction and ongoing network operations. The network has 53 miles of fiber on its distribution system; 62 miles of underground service drops; and 1,800 property connections. Last month, Broadband BI opened up the first service area for installation and connection. According to their website, they have now opened up subscriptions in two additional service areas.  Congratulations to the residents of Block Island for having access to service from your community-owned network!
2 Comments
This is great news for the residents and businesses of this island. I personally was involved in the original coaxial network proofing which was subsidized by the government when the wind turbine tower was placed in the late '70 to supplement the old "submarine" diesel power plant. The local concern was that the wind turbine would interfere with over the air reception. 5/3/2023 08:49:29 am
That's some amazing historical context, Jim! I would imagine that everything is more expensive to do on an island! Leave a Reply. |
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