Update February 2020 - The warrant for providing drop subsidies passed! We also have an official Drop Policy and Rate Schedule. We plan on begining subscriptions for service March 28th. Our fiber hub (the hut behind the Post Office) now has power and a back-up generator installed. So, stay tuned!

Update January 2020 - Happy New Year! 2020 should be the year of broadband. The MLP Working Group is begining design of the subscription drive. There will be lots of information, mailings, email updates, banners, events, and much more. Sign up above for email updates. We are hoping to begin subscriptions in March.

Update December 2019 - The State of Massachusetts has offered a subsidy to help with connecting houses to the network. The more people who sign up - the greater the subsidy (up to a limit). This is great news as it could reduce the amount the Town would need to cover to connect homes to the network. We are all anxious to get broadband in Chesterfield, and everyone has been really patient. Plainfield is ahead of us in the queue and some residents have gotten connected. They say it is fabulous! As soon as I have more information, I will post it.

Update November 2019 - Verizon has set all of the poles in town and Eversource is busy with its make-ready work. Current estimates for finishing make-ready is February 2020. We are hoping to begin the subscription drive by the middle of February.

Update August/September 2019 - Our Telecommunications Hut arrives in Chesterfield! On Wednesday, July 21st. United Concrete delivered our hut which will serve as the hub of all fiber connections between Chesterfield and the outside world. It is located at the end of the Town Hall parking area behind the Post Office.

Update July 2019 - Our informational meetings were very successful with 45-50 people in attendance! The second and third were attended by about 35 people. If you are not able to come to any of the presentations, there a 10-minute video presentation above.

Update June 2019 - We have a signed contract for the construction of the broadband network! It is with an employee-owned company called Tri-Wire out of Tewksbury, Ma. Also our telecommunications hut will be arriving in July. The picture above is of the hut site behind Town Hall. There will be three informational meetings: July 10th at 6 pm, July 13th at 10 am., and August 3d at 4 pm in the Community Center. We will be presenting the subscription rates, drop policy, and an update on where we are in the project.

Update May 2019 - This year great progress was made on the Chesterfield Broadband Project. In 2018, we finalized the design for the network, submitted pole applications to Eversource and Verizon, designed and contracted for our Network Communications Hut, and selected Westfield Gas and Electric (Whip City Fiber) as our internet service provider. There is still a lot to do before we can begin construction. However, 2019 should see completion of the pole “make ready” preparations, installation of our Network Communications Hut, a subscription drive, and the beginning of construction. We expect the network will be operational by the end of 2019 or soon thereafter.

Update April 2019 - Westfield Gas and Electric/Whip City has been selected as our Internet Service Provider. This means that they will be the company who provides our link from Chesterfield to the global internet. They will handle all of the billing and service calls as well as provide customer support to subscribers. We were very sorry to lose WiredWest after all they have done to bring broadband to Western Massachusetts. We all owe them a great debt of gratitude. Also we have just gotten three bids for building the network so now all we have to do is wait for Eversource and Verizon to complete the make ready and we can begin!

Update March 2019 - The telecommunications hut is ordered and preparations are underway for installing it. We walked out with the Verizon and Eversource engineers to see which poles need make ready work and are waiting for them to begin work. This is the main delay - we are dependent on Verizon and Eversource for make ready work. Our contract to construct the fiber optic network is out for bid and we expect to have a contract awarded by early April. On the horizon is the choice of an Internet Service Provider (ISP). As soon as the ground is workable, we should have some pictures of the new telecommunications hut posted!

Update January 2019 - We have a design for our Telecommunications Hut and it is being constructed by a local concrete company. This is the secure, concrete structure that will house the heart of the Broadband Network. Below is a picture of what a similar hut (in Plainfield) looks like. We are in the process of working with engineers to prepare the "make-ready" so that we can begin preparing poles for attaching fiber.

December 2018 - Our network design is complete! This means that Westfield Gas and Electric has mapped out every premise in Town and figured out the best way to route the fiber-optic cable to get there. We are now waiting for Eversource and Verizon to issue licenses to attach the fiber-optic cable to their poles. Once the licenses are issued, the make ready work begins to prepare the poles. Once that is done we can begin building the network.