MBI Director Judy Dumont joined Governor Deval Patrick, Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Cable Commissioner Geoffrey Why, Federal Communications Commissioner Mignon Clyburn and other officials on Tuesday to discuss the future of broadband expansion in Massachusetts. Governor Patrick has made the expansion of affordable, quality broadband access a priority, working with the Legislature to create the MBI and launching the start of construction for MassBroadband 123 this past July to expand access to more than 120 communities in western and north central Massachusetts.

Governor Patrick

"Reliable, affordable Internet access to all areas of the Commonwealth is vital to our economic recovery and our future," said Governor Patrick, who addressed the conference. "My thanks to everyone who is helping us create an affordable and reliable broadband network for Massachusetts."

"The MBI is bringing quality, affordable broadband access that will ensure that residents, businesses and community institutions have the tools they need to compete and thrive in the 21st century economy," said MBI Director Judy Dumont. "The FCC's efforts to reform the Universal Service Fund is a critical step, as we continue to make great progress to close the digital divide and connect the unconnected."

The conference, hosted by the Department of Telecommunications and Cable and the Rappaport Center for Law and Public Service at Suffolk University Law School, brought together government officials and industry experts to discuss the future of broadband connectivity, which is undergoing rapid change on the state and federal levels. Federal Communications Commissioner Mignon Clyburn gave the keynote address titled "Transitioning Universal Service from Phone to Broadband," which provided an update on the FCC's recent plans to reform the Universal Service Fund to support broadband coverage across the nation.

In October, the FCC released an executive summary of an expected order that will change the focus of the Universal Service Fund. Currently, the Fund directs money to telephone landline service access in underserved areas. However, as technology changes, the infrastructure needs have changed from phone lines to broadband. The Order is expected to create a forward-looking model that will support more broadband coverage.

"The FCC's reform of the Universal Service Fund is an important step in ensuring that reliable, affordable broadband is built out in a way that is both more efficient and equitable," said Commissioner Why.

In July, the MBI and Governor Patrick launched the construction of the MassBroadband 123 fiber-optic network. The 1,300-mile Internet backbone network will expand broadband access to more than 120 communities in western and north central Massachusetts, and provide direct connections to more than 1,300 schools, hospitals, libraries and public safety facilities that currently lack reliable, affordable Internet service.

Extending broadband connectivity is a priority for Governor Patrick, who introduced and signed legislation to create the MBI, a division of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, providing state capital funding for broadband-related infrastructure projects. These resources, combined with an effective partnership with the Obama Administration and the Massachusetts congressional delegation, helped the MBI secure multiple federal grants worth more than $80 million, including a $45.4 million American Recovery and Reinvestment Act award through the highly-competitive National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP).

Along with comments from Governor Patrick and the keynote address from Commissioner Clyburn, two panels participated in the conference. The first panel, moderated by Commissioner Why, focused on sustainable broadband adoption and included panelists Linda Dunlavy, Executive Director of the Franklin Regional Council of Governments and an MBI Board Member, Bill Oates, the Chief Information Officer for the City of Boston, and Mark Reilly, Senior Vice President of Government Relations for Comcast. The second panel, moderated by Sen. Benjamin Downing, discussed the economic benefits of connectivity and included panelists Judy Dumont, Emily Green, the Chairman of the Board of Yankee Group and member of the MTC Board, and New Hampshire Public Utilities Commissioner Amy Ignatius.

"The expansion of broadband connectivity will strengthen our innovation economy and support job growth across the Commonwealth," said Pamela Goldberg, CEO of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. "The MBI is building a sustainable fiber-optic network that will attract private investment and create long-term economic opportunities throughout Massachusetts."