Western Massachusetts counting on broadband funds to stimulate economy
Western Massachusetts is hoping to be awarded $100 million during the first round broadband stimulus funds. A Boston Globe editorial called broadband access a "crucial component of economic development" in a region that has been passed over for public investment in the past.
The Globe pointed out the ways in which high-speed Internet access could act as an economic booster shot:
Providing broadband to the 43 Western Massachusetts towns that lack it entirely or in part could kickstart the economy of a region that has suffered from the decline of basic industries like paper and electrical equipment. According to federal figures, communities with broadband add a percentage point to their employment growth rate. The state estimates that extending broadband in the western counties will create 1,360 jobs in construction alone and at least 1,680 additional jobs through use of the network.
Combined with rural Western Mass's relatively low cost of living, the area could become attractive to high tech companies and other startups looking to set up shop. Affordable broadband gives existing companies - particularly those in rural regions - the opportunity to expand nationally, or even globally.
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