Sertex Partners with Town of Sharon, CT on Broadband Infrastructure Feasibility Analysis
PRESS RELEASE
Rural community in northern Litchfield county seeks to build open-access fiber broadband network to deliver reliable, affordable high-speed internet service to every home and business.
Plainfield, CT – November 11, 2021… Frustrated by their community’s lack of universal access to reliable and affordable high-speed internet, town officials in Sharon, Connecticut, have engaged Sertex Broadband Solutions to conduct a broadband infrastructure feasibility study for the small, remote town. Under the contract awarded last month, Sertex, a leading regional expert in fiber optic network deployment, will develop a feasibility analysis with cost estimates for an open-access, fiber-to-the- premise broadband network (FTTX) that will serve all residents, businesses, government agencies, and emergency service providers.
For years, the lack of broadband connectivity has been a significant challenge for communities in Connecticut’s Northwest Hills. The severity of the problem was painfully exposed during the pandemic when many families could not access remote work-from-home or distance learning. The vision of the Sharon Connect Task Force, an all-volunteer group of concerned residents formed in 2019 to advise the Board of Selectmen on options to provide high-speed connectivity to all residents, is to achieve digital equity through an open access FTTX.
“Our children have suffered when attempting remote learning, our colleagues working from home have been stymied, and too many elderly residents are unable to participate in telehealth appointments – all because of connection speeds that are not sufficient for today’s world or from lack of access to broadband altogether,” states Jill Drew, Co-Chair of the Sharon Connect Task Force.
The feasibility analysis will outline the design requirements and costs for network construction, including aerial and underground fiber pathways, make ready pole licensing, engineering, fiber drops, equipment installation, annual operating and maintenance costs, and a financial take rate analysis. This information is essential for Sharon to apply for grant funding available through the American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA).
“Rural communities like Sharon have been ignored by incumbent private providers for years,” said Micheal Solitro, Sertex founder and CEO. “Now is the time for local governments to take control to deliver reliable, affordable, and durable high-speed internet access. Sertex is a here to give towns the information and support they need to get started on the path to a fiber future.”
About Sertex Broadband Solutions
Sertex is an expert in fiber optic infrastructure deployment in the Northeast. For over three decades, the company has provided leading-edge services to telecommunication, utility, and municipal customers. The vision of Sertex Broadband Solutions is to deploy fiber-to-the-home networks in unserved and underserved areas and give gigabit-speed internet access to every home and business. Currently, Sertex is deploying an island-wide FTTX network on Block Island in partnership with the Town of New Shoreham, RI, a community-wide municipal network in Plainville, CT, and constructing last-mile fiber networks in 17 hill towns in western Massachusetts. The company’s model makes publicly owned/privately operated networks affordable and scalable with future-proof fiber technology. Learn more at www.sertexbroadband.com. information, visit www.sertexbroadband.com.