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BROADBAND COMMUNITIES
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www.broadbandcommunities.com
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015
FIBER NETWORK DEPLOYMENT
Q&A; With Alan Davis, CapeNet
Middle-Mile Fiber Supports Business
Yes, there is life after BTOP. Here's how one of the frst BTOP grantees has grown and
prospered – and helped its service area do the same.
T
he OpenCape regional broadband
fber optic network in southeastern
Massachusetts was ofcially declared
open for business about 18 months ago. Its
middle-mile backbone was conceived in 2006
by leaders from the local community college,
businesses, Woods Hole Oceanographic
Institution and Barnstable county government,
and the build was kickstarted with a BTOP
grant and state funds. Te network now
stretches 400 miles and serves more than
100 business locations. Te network does not
directly serve residential customers, although it
does help provide fber-based cellular backhaul.
Spotty broadband in Western Massachusetts
prompted Gov. Deval Patrick to fund the
Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI),
which was primarily intended to aid the state's
western counties. However, after Terese
Murray, president of the state senate, urged
the governor not to neglect the underserved
southeastern counties, including Cape Cod,
Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard, MBI
provided early funding for network studies
and design in that area. Tat made the project
"shovel ready" for the 2009 national stimulus
program, and OpenCape won a $32 million
construction grant under the BTOP program.
Nonproft OpenCape then awarded a contract
to CapeNet, a separate, privately owned
company, to build and operate the network.
BTOP turned out to be only the beginning.
BroadBand Communities talked to Alan S.
Davis, CEO and president of CapeNet, just
before Tanksgiving to garner some hints
Alan Davis, CEO and president of CapeNet
Middle-mile fber
networks will be
featured at the
BroadBand Communities
summit, April 14–16.