September 29, 2020
This summer Governor Baker signed a new IT Bond Bill for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, which includes $1.7M in funds allocated for OpenCape Internet connectivity projects on the Cape & Islands.
OpenCape worked in partnership with State Representative Sarah Peake and State Senator Julian Cyr to ensure these key initiatives that directly and immediately impact communities on Cape Cod would be included in the bill.
The funding will support these planned projects:
Now that the bill has been signed by the Governor, we have been asking visitors and residents to Cape Cod to share their support for better Internet connectivity and to directly request that Governor Baker release the $1.7 Million for OpenCape that has been allocated in the IT Bond Bill.
Many residents and business owners across the Cape responded with impassioned letters to the Baker Administration urging the Governor to make these funds available so OpenCape can immediately move forward with these innovative connectivity projects that address crucial areas of economic and quality of life concerns for the Cape and Islands.
Some of the issues that were mentioned by supporters of the projects who wrote to the Governor include building a sustainable year-round economy, attracting working professionals and providing for the safety and security of residents. We also heard from small business owners who are clamoring for reliable high-speed internet in order to compete within a global marketplace.
Here are a few quotes from concerned Cape Cod residents:
“This technology can help so many low and middle income MA residents at a time when reasonable priced connectivity is so important for health, safety and survival.”
“Access to high-speed internet is no longer a luxury, but is essential for outer Cape residents. While this has been apparent for a while, the pandemic has made it even more clear, as working and schooling from home has become a necessity for many.”
“There is a lot of talk about making it easier for younger people to live and work on the outer Cape and to support a sustainable year-round economy that's less dependent on tourism. Affordable, widely-available high-speed internet would be a critical component of such an economy.”
You can still add your voice to advocate for the release of the funding from the IT Bond Bill. Call or email the Governor’s Chief and Deputy Chief of Staff today and let them know we need these projects to move forward!
Kristen Lepore
Chief of Staff
Office of the Governor
kristen.lepore@state.ma.us
(617) 727-2040
Lily Zarrella
Deputy Chief of Staff
Office of the Governor
lily.zarrella@state.ma.us
(617) 483-3425
If you want to learn more about OpenCape’s proposed internet connectivity projects that are included in the IT Bond Bill, please email us at info@opencape.org, or call our office at 508-362-2224.
You have the opportunity to make real change in your community. Thank you for joining OpenCape and working toward the future of connectivity on Cape Cod!
