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WCM Fiber Network
Own Your Internet
Community Owned Fiber Optic Infrastructure
WCM Fiber Network Explained in 3 Minutes
Guiding Principles , Objectives, and Goals
WCM Community Leaders are exploring the feasibility of deploying community owned fiber optic infrastructure throughout Valley and North Adams Counties. We are now at a point in the process where we need to know whether this is something the residents of the West Central Mountains region would be interested in and would support. If this initiative goes forward, the project would be developed with the following principles and objectives:
1. Nobody will be forced to participate. Participation would be on a voluntary, opt-in basis.
2. Taxes would not be increased to fund the network.
3. The ongoing operation of the network would be self-sustaining and not dependent on any kind of subsidy
from the City.
Primary goals for this infrastructure initiative include the following:
> Significantly increase the speed and reliability of internet access.
> Lower the cost of internet access for both residents and businesses.
> Increase competition giving residents and businesses multiple choices of new Internet Service Providers.
(4 – 5 new options).
> Build a state-of-the-art network that will improve economic development and foster innovation.
> Leverage the network to improve the services provided in the city including public safety, transportation,
healthcare, education, emergency communications, transactive energy (smart grid) and new services that
will become possible with advanced network infrastructure.
WCM Fiber Network Taskforce
As a resident of Valley and North Adams County, you're invited to test your internet speed. Valley County as part of the West Central Mountains Fiber Network Taskforce has launched a crowd-sourced speed test that aims to collect and share data about internet availability in every region of Valley and North Adams Counties.
This data will then be used to help us understand our connectivity needs and seek funding to build critical fiber optic and broadband infrastructure.
