Businesses, schools and public safety providers that reside in the Southeast, Massachusetts region will soon be getting a new bandwidth infusion as the OpenCape Corp. has been awarded $32 million in Broadband Technology Opportunity Program (BTOP) to build a hybrid fiber/microwave middle mile network.
With the funding grant, OpenCape will build a 350 mile wired fiber network, a wireless microwave network and a regional data center. The $32 million BTOP grant will be matched with $8 million in funds from Massachusetts, RCN Metro Optical Networks and Barnstable to build this middle mile network that will support businesses, education, public safety and government needs in Southeast Massachusetts.
Along with providing greater network capacity to the region, OpenCape believes that the network will provide an economic stimulus in cities such as Fall River and New Bedford where unemployment is nearly 15 percent.
"OpenCape is the product of years of work and collaboration by organizations and individuals across our region," said OpenCape's President, Dan Gallagher. "It's a vital part of the region's long term growth and competitiveness strategy and we are excited to have assembled all of the necessary funding to immediately begin building the OpenCape network."
For more:
- see the release here
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