'Generational opportunity.' State asks how to prioritize $400 million in internet funds

HYANNIS — Massachusetts has received nearly $400 million in funding to ensure high-speed, affordable broadband is available to all.

The money is a “generational opportunity” for Massachusetts, Michael Baldino, director and general counsel for the Massachusetts Broadband Institute said at a Sept. 28 listening session for the public in Barnstable Town Hall.

The Massachusetts Broadband Institute, a public agency funded in 2018 by legislation, has been holding meetings, listening sessions and gathering survey information from across the state to help plan how the money should be spent.

Internet service is not sufficient for a quarter of Cape Cod's population, and 95% of municipalities cite “little or no competition” as drawbacks, according to the Institute's survey results.

Comcast/Xfinity is the major internet provider on the Cape. The nonprofit OpenCape provides a fiber optic network to small businesses, municipalities, public libraries and school systems on the Cape, but has few residential customers.

Where is the money coming from to improve high-speed broadband access?

The money comes from the national Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program ($147 million), the U.S. Treasury Capital Projects Fund ($175 million), state Digital Equity Programs ($75 million) and $1 million from a Digital Equity Act Planning Grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.

What did Cape Cod residents have to say at the broadband listening session?

At the hour-long listening session on Thursday at Barnstable Town Hall, about 60 people shared their thoughts about how that money could help Cape residents reach digital equity.

Deciding whether to spend that money on infrastructure, digital literacy programs or ensuring people have devices to access the internet is the big question, Baldino said. The listening session was one step in the institute’s overall strategy to get comments from state residents and stakeholders.

How will the greatest needs on Cape Cod be decided?

The institute has been holding listening sessions, using focus groups and responses to a public survey to determine the greatest needs in the state. The session in Barnstable was one of its last listening sessions. The public survey is still available. The next steps include drafting a plan and having a public comment period on it, before submitting it to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.

Spending the appropriated money is scheduled to begin in February 2024.

“Money is coming,” said Jody Jones, senior program director with the institute at the Barnstable Town Hall session. “We need a plan.”

The priority will be on unserved and underserved residents, Jones said.

There are 1,670 unserved or underserved locations on the Cape Cod, she said citing a Federal Communications Commission report. A location can be a home, business or multiple-unit residence.

Survey Results to date

About one-quarter of the 828 Cape respondents, by mid-September, said their internet service was inadequate for their households, according to the survey results.

The average monthly price for broadband service on the Cape is $79.50, and one-third of the population has some difficulty paying that amount, according to the survey.

Challenges to using the internet on Cape Cod

There was general agreement among participants that service degradation was routine in the summer months when the population explodes on the Cape. Other concerns noted included the lack of robust infrastructure on the Outer Cape, a lack of competition between broadband providers, the seasonal economy coupled with the high cost of living, and financial strains on municipalities that keep pushing internet access behind other concerns such as water, climate change, coastal resilience and housing.

The federal Affordable Connectivity Program that provides discounts on services and devices to income-eligible individuals and families was called hard to access and a temporary fix.

The Cape's high percentage of senior residents translates to a need for education, one participant said. Technology navigators, Councils on Aging and senior centers could all help minimize the problem for those who need help accessing and using the internet. Approximately 10,000 residents who have no device and no internet access face challenges with finding the support they need to use the internet safely and meaningfully, according to the institute reports.

Older adults aren’t alone in needing internet and device help. Children, low-income earners, migrants, and non-English-speaking residents have unique needs.

Eighty-seven digital equity assets have been identified to date. These are institutions, organizations and agencies that could help with educating and supporting digital learners on Cape Cod. They include schools, public libraries, and community centers that could be called in to help bridge the digital gap. The public is invited to review the list, add to it or challenge those on the list, Jones said.

What's Next?

The public survey is still available online at https://broadband.masstech.org/internetforall. Printed copies of the survey were not available at the session.

Denise Coffey writes about business and tourism. Contact her at dcoffey@capecodonline.com.

The Cape Cod Times is providing this coverage for free as a public service. Please take a moment to support local journalism by subscribing.

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: State asks public help to spend $400 million to bridge digital divide