{"id":383,"date":"2021-05-28T19:02:35","date_gmt":"2021-05-28T19:02:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cummington-ma.gov\/MLPBoard\/?page_id=383"},"modified":"2025-03-02T15:38:12","modified_gmt":"2025-03-02T15:38:12","slug":"summary","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/cummington-ma.gov\/MLPBoard\/summary\/","title":{"rendered":"Summary"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cummington Connect<\/h1>\n<\/div><\/div>

Bringing High Speed Internet Right to your Home or Work<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

Sign Up for Service<\/a><\/div>
Sign Up for Emergency Broadband Benefit Program<\/a><\/div>
Customer Service | 8:00am -5:00pm – 413.485.1251 – customerservice@whipcityfiber.com<\/a><\/div>
Technical Support | 24 hour service – 413.485.1204 – techsupport@whipcityfiber.com<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Update – June 2021<\/h1>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Cummington Municipal Light Plant Update –\u00a0 June 2021<\/h2>\n

Network Construction Update<\/h4>\n

The design, engineering, and \u201cmake ready work\u201d of the network began in 2017\u00a0 The construction, and subscriber connection work began in 2018 and was substantially completed in January 2021.<\/p>\n

The total project capital costs are: $2,833,243. See Capital Cost Analysis for a breakdown of project components. Sources to cover costs include: Town borrowing of $1,400,000.00; state grant funds of $1,033,000.00; and reimbursement from the Town of Windsor of $22,369.<\/p>\n

Cummington also received $380,686 of CAFII funding\u00a0that will be remitted to the town in installments over 10 years, beginning in FY 2023, and which will be used in the most appropriate manner depending on the need at the time of receiving the annual installment.<\/p>\n

Located in 2 Main Street, Cummington\u2019s telecommunications hub serves a state of the art fiber optic network. The network is 51 miles of fiber optic cables attached to 1,393 utility poles, and is capable of serving 100% of the 553 premises in town. Included in our project is a municipal network that connects the Community House, Safety Complex, Highway Garage, Library, recreation field, historical buildings, library and the water system wells and tanks.<\/p>\n

Operational Update<\/h4>\n

We have partnered with Whip City Fiber, a subsidiary of Westfield Gas +Electric, to operate our fiber network and provide services. We offer residential giga-bit internet service for $85\/month with optional VOIP phone for an additional $14.99\/month (plus applicable taxes and fees). A typical residential bill is $105\/month.<\/p>\n

Of the 593 potential premises in Cummington 361 are currently connected to the fiber network.<\/p>\n

As part of the CAFII funding we offer the federal \u201cLifeline\u201d program which provides a $9.25 monthly credit to income eligible households. We will participate in the federal \u201cEmergency Broadband Benefit Program\u201d which will provide a temporary $50 monthly credit to households who have been negatively impacted by the pandemic.<\/p>\n

We continue to work with our neighboring towns and with Whip City Fiber and with the Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI) to ensure the resiliency of our network and to urge upgrades to the \u201cmiddle mile\u201d that our town relies upon for ultimate access to the world wide web.<\/p>\n

Operating Budget:<\/h4>\n

All direct network operating expenses are covered by subscriber revenues. Direct expenses include stipends for the manager (total $12K); costs to serve each customer ($126,249.48); backhaul, pole bonds, insurance, maintenance\/repairs $96,228.46); and an allowance for unforeseen costs $18,000. The total estimated costs for FY 2022 of $176,494 is the MLP Budget.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Cummington Municipal Light Plant – Summary of Capital Costs for Fiber Network <\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Project Timeline: March 2018 – January 2021 <\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Expenses<\/td>\nExpense Description<\/td>\nActuals<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Design and Engineering<\/td>\nData collection\/route validation\/pole attachment heights (pole survey);strand maps, fiber and splice design<\/td>\n$117,885.28<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Project Management<\/td>\nProcurement and construction phase oversight of network distribution and drop contractors<\/td>\n$140,343.04<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Make Ready<\/td>\nFees to Eversource and Verizon (license application, make ready); pole bonds FY2018, FY 2019, FY 2020; pole application processing by WG+E<\/td>\n$618,516.00<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hub<\/td>\nSite work, convert room to hub , generator, HVAC, propane, interior racks and electronics<\/td>\n$292,243.57<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Fiber Network<\/td>\nLabor and materials to string strand and fiber from hub to “curb” passing every premise including MSTs and extensions.<\/td>\n$1,050,116.78<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Service Drops and Cold Drops<\/span><\/td>\nLabor and materials to string fiber from MST at “curb” to NID (to outside of premise)
Labor and materials to connect NID to ONT and router (from outside to inside premise), standard installation, nominal interior wiring, phone setup<\/td>\n		$230,978.56<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hillside Terrace<\/span><\/td>\nBuild an underground network to service Hillside Terrace<\/td>\n$26,167.76<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Municipal Network<\/span><\/td>\nConstruction and Engineering for our Municipal Network connecting all Town buildings, all Water Dept wells, Library, and Historical Assoc. buildings<\/td>\n$22,591.81<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Total Expenses<\/td>\n<\/td>\n$2,498,842.80<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Cummington Municipal Light Plant – Summary of Capital Costs for Fiber Network <\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Project Timeline: March 2018 – January 2021 <\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Revenue<\/td>\nRevenue Description<\/span><\/td>\nActuals<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2015 Town Debt Override<\/td>\nTown Meeting Authorization May 2015 Annual Town Meeting authorized borrowing UP TO $1.4M<\/td>\n$1,370,000.00<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
EOHED Grant<\/td>\nGrant from EOHED May 2017 Award, less completion holdback<\/td>\n$840,000.00<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2019 Transfer from Stabilization<\/td>\nSpecial Town Meeting vote to transfer from Stabilization Account to pay all “drop” costs for “cold drop” and “service drop”. Authorized transfer up to $400,000.00.<\/td>\n$400,000.00<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2020 EOHED Drop Compensation<\/span><\/td>\nPayment of $500 per “drop” up to 70% of drops\/connections.<\/td>\n$193,550.00<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Total Revenue<\/td>\n<\/td>\n$2,803,550.00<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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