Broadband:

The Broadband Committee is recommending the Selectboard pursue state
(MBI) grant funding for our wireless Internet system upgrade. This
followed a meeting between new MBI staffer Bill Ennen, Tom Wyatt as
chair of Broadband Committee, and myself where it became clear that the
state wants results after a very long planning delay. The committee
recommendation is that the Selectboard proceed with full MBI grant
funding now, and engage in MBI's financial stress test now, not later.
The committee discussed and then voted that wireless is our affordable
option and Warwick should not wait any longer to access state funding.
MBI will try to get us forward funding (as opposed to reimbursement) so
that our town voted borrowing is last in and only deployed to the extent
needed. The fiber option was found not affordable. Even with $800k grant
funding the Town would be on the hook for $1.6 M bonded debt.

So, what will happen next with the upgrade? Two parallel first steps
will occur in the coming weeks. To minimize disruption of existing
customers, we will first add new higher frequency radios to both of the
high towers and then one by one, move every customer who can obtain
service this way to this new faster band. How fast does it go? This band
can supply over 100 Mbps connections. Our other action will be to add
to, and make our existing repeater sites more functional and robust by
placing poles that will function like neighborhood towers in the town's
right of way. These will provide additional height and utilize new and
faster technology that will function in our wooded environment.

After we move all the customers that can get service on the new radio
band to it, we will upgrade the legacy 900 MHz system to the most modern
equipment. Our engineered model says this will involve about fifty
customers and this change will cause construction outages. This is
because we can't run both 900 systems and the new gear is not backwardly
compatible. There will be a mad scramble where we switch out old
customer gear for new. If this affects you, you will get notice of when
this is happening.

To support our plans the Planning Board has offered clarification with
respect to zoning and its impact on poles on private land which says
that for heights of up to 60 feet, they are not regulated. Additionally,
we got a legal opinion that when the town is placing poles in the town
road right of way, we, the town, don't have to follow the procedure used
by electric and phone utilities. We will simply show neighbors where we
intend to plant a pole and hold an informal hearing before constructing.


The upgrade itself does not in any way change the business model. We are
going to implement network monitoring software which will help us judge
the success of the upgrades and monitor performance over time. The state
grant will allow us to upgrade the 3 GHz WiMAX gear, our current fastest
solution which is capped at 10Mbps speeds, several years ahead of the
old plan.
	
In the fall after we are done with the build, the Selectboard will be
asked to consider offering prepayment discounts, and to establish a low
income pricing tier such as cable internet providers in Northfield and
Bernardston offer. 

Housing and Zoning: 

The town has concerns regarding a housing and zoning bill that passed
the State Senate but not the General Court. Senate President Rosenberg
wrote the Selectboard to say that S2311 Zoning and Housing bill is not
moving forward this session. I wrote Representative Lee who thanked us
and said, "I'm sure many of my other rural towns feel the same way.   I
will watch for this as it progresses" The Planning Board is sending a
letter in opposition. When this bill gets moving next year I will
propose a tiny town exemption such as there is for the law that says you
may not hold more than one town job.

Wireline Phones:

I don't have much to report on the state of land line phone service as
I've gotten only three responses to date. I urge anybody disenchanted
with land line phone to contact me with your report. I did advocacy for
a resident to assert the 911 requirement that emergency service be
maintained on a cancelled land line and discovered that unlike cellular
regulation, this does not apply in MA except while a bill is in dispute.
 If you shut off your land line service they can take away your dial
tone. The lowest cost Verizon line is measured service the cost is close
to $30 per month.
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