Charlemont rejects Comcast broadband offer; opts to build $1.4M fiber optic network
Charlemont has decided to build its own fiber optic broadband network instead of accepting a cheaper cable option from Comcast. The $462,123 Comcast proposal, which would have connected 96 percent of households with high-speed internet, was rejected by town meeting voters last Thursday. The defeat means Charlemont will likely advance a $1.4 million project to create a town-owned fiber network, as approved by town meeting voters in 2015. The Hawlemont Regional School auditorium was filled to the brim, around 160 paper ballots were cast, and in an unofficial count, the Comcast proposal failed by 20 votes, according to the Greenfield Recorder.
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