The Legislature will meet informally twice a week between now and the first week of January. During informal sessions local and noncontroversial matters are considered, however, under the Joint Rules, the objection of one member can halt proceedings.
MBI Receives $45.4M Broadband Expansion: On July 2nd the Massachusetts Broadband Institute announced that it received $45.4 million in federal stimulus funding to expand broadband access in western and north central Massachusetts. The federal stimulus funding was awarded to the MBI through the highly-competitive second round of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's (NTIA) Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP). The Commonwealth will be providing $26.2 million in matching funds, bringing the total investment in the project to $71.6 million.
The MBI's project, MassBroadband 123, will create a robust, fiber-optic network that will connect 123 communities in the western and north-central regions of the Commonwealth. By expanding broadband services to unserved and underserved communities, MassBroadband 123 will build an essential foundation for these areas of the state. Expanded broadband connectivity will enable residents and businesses to better compete in the 21st century global economy. Businesses in the regions will be more adequately equipped with the tools necessary to grow and to improve their services, and educational institutions will be able to provide the enhanced curriculums necessary to cultivate a highly-skilled workforce. MassBroadband 123 will be a publicly owned, open access, middle-mile backbone that will allow last-mile service providers to connect and deliver broadband services to households and businesses. The backbone will place fiber as close to population and business centers as possible, and will allow last-mile providers to connect at virtually any point of the network.
For more information on MassBroadband 123 and other MBI broadband initiatives please visit www.massbroadband.org.
Assistance for Unemployed Residents: The Commonwealth of Massachusetts and partner organizations provide a wide range of services to help individuals who have exhausted or may soon exhaust their unemployment insurance claim. Unemployed individuals may be eligible for assistance to meet basic needs as well as other services such as health care, counseling, employment and training assistance, and more. You can either call 2-1-1 to learn about a broad range of resources or contact these agencies and organizations directly to inquire about their programs.
