Falmouth’s Fiber Optic Broadband Initiative Overview

Falmouth and Cape Cod are undeserved when it comes to fast, reliable broadband. High-speed broadband Internet is critical to the town’s economic growth and for the well being of its citizens much as was the coming of electricity more than 100 years ago. However, Comcast is the one main provider in Falmouth and on the whole Cape. Verizon does offer outmoded DSL Internet service and wireless service but to date has shown no interest in bringing FIOS across the Cape Cod Canal. Wireless and satellite are options, but they don’t provide the critical bandwidth, speed, future upgradeability, and reliability that a fiber optic broadband network offers.

With no meaningful competition, Comcast has not made sufficient investment to upgrade from an outmoded coaxial cable network dating back to the late 1980’s. So its service is unreliable and over-priced. While OpenCape’s Fiber Optic network covers all of the Cape and much of southeastern Massachusetts, including 38 miles in Falmouth, it is primarily a “middle mile” network that serves municipalities, including Falmouth, and large entities such as the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. To date, except for some pilot projects, like the Main Street fiber project in Falmouth and providing fiber service to some multi-family housing in Hyannis, Open Cape has not committed to building out the “Last Mile” to individual homes and businesses on the Cape or in Falmouth.

For years, there was talk by a number of individuals and ad hoc groups that the Falmouth community would be well served by building its own fiber optic network to compete with Comcast. The need was evident; the will was not. But in early 2019, Courtney Bird, a long-time Falmouth resident, decided the time was right and assembled a committee of like-minded folks with the vision, expertise, experience, and dedication to make a community-based fiber optic broadband network a reality.

Events moved rapidly. In June 2019, the Committee, which dubbed its idea “FalmouthNet”, held a well-attended public meeting at the Library to present its vision. Within a week, the Falmouth Economic Development and Industrial Corporation (EDIC) voted $50,000 to fund and conduct a feasibility study in conjunction with the FalmouthNet Committee. The EDIC issued an RFP, and CCG Consulting was selected. They issued their report on 11/16/2020. Its 216-page report, distilled to its essence, concluded that a community-based fiber optic broadband network was quite feasible. The report noted that “…[because] broadband customers in Falmouth experience inconsistent speeds and frequent outages, …as many as 61% of residents and many businesses would consider moving to a new broadband network.” CCG thus determined that “it would be financially feasible to build and operate a new high-speed fiber optic network that would bring gigabit broadband capability to every home and business in Falmouth.” The feasibility study details various potential operating models and financing options. The complete study is available to view here.

In October 2020, the committee incorporated as a non-profit and received 501(c)(3) status from the IRS in February 2021. Its purpose was to advocate for the network, not to go into the business of operating it. In 2021, FalmouthNet raised about $100k in donations from interested citizens, most notably Vint Cerf, often considered one of the fathers of the Internet. FalmouthNet spent this money for a broad-based educational campaign.

While the feasibility study demonstrated that the envisioned network was potentially workable, the next step was to conduct a high-level engineering design study, which would begin to put flesh on the bones of feasibility study. FalmouthNet estimated that such a study, done right, would cost in the range of $150k to $200k. In the spring of 2021, FalmouthNet approached our state legislators, Senator Sue Moran and Representatives David Viera and Dylan Fernandes, all of whom have been very supportive of the idea, for funding. Thanks to the efforts of Senator Moran, a $150k earmark for the study was secured. FalmouthNet issued a RFP and selected Tilson Technology Management of Portland, ME. Tilson’s report was issued on March 15, 2022. It created “… a high-level design, bill of materials, and construction cost estimate for FalmouthNet, a community-based fiber optic network to serve the homes and businesses of Falmouth, Massachusetts.” This study got Falmouth one step closer to at “shovel ready” project. The entire High Level Design Study may be viewed or downloaded here.

After looking at various operating models that year, FalmouthNet concluded that the creation of a Municipal Power Plant (MLP), codified in Massachusetts’ law in MGL Ch 164, was the best way forward. Chapter 164 stipulates that Town Meeting may create an MLP by two 2/3’s votes in two town meetings, held no more than 13 months apart. FalmouthNet lobbied the 240+ town meeting members extensively in the summer and fall of 2021, using much of the money it had raised for that purpose. In November 2021 Town meeting voted by 93% to create an MLP; in April 2022, approved its creation by 86%. In April, Town Meeting also voted to create an elected five-person Municipal Light Board (MLB) to govern the operation of the MLP, and board was elected in May 2023’s town election.

The new Municipal Light Board is currently meeting regularly. It is determining its short and long-term goals and exploring various operational models and funding options from 100% public to 100% private, including a public-private partnership.

One of the MLB’s short-term goals has been to issue a Request for Information (RFI) from potentially interested private partners. In recent months two private ISPs have reached out to FalmouthNet and to the MLB to express interest in a possible partnership. Are there others? That’s what an RFI will accomplish.

Another immediate task of the MLB, has been to apply for a digital equity grant from the Mass Broadband Institute (MBI). If the application is accepted, the study would assess the needs of Falmouth to best achieve affordable broadband access for its citizens regardless of income. While the grant will not provide funding for the construction of the network, it is a positive step in that direction.

In 2022, the state legislature appropriated $100,000 for FalmouthNet to fund the start-up costs for the MLB. The language of the appropriation did not mention the MLB by name but provided that “… not less than $100,000 shall be expended for FalmouthNet, Inc. for professional services and research expenses in support of efforts to build a town-wide, community-based fiber-optic network”. The funds for this earmark go to FalmouthNet and must be spent by it. It cannot transfer control to the MLB without a legislative act to change the wording of the appropriation.

FalmouthNet must submit an earmark budget to the state by June 30, 2024, and the funds must be spent by June 30, 2026. The money can be spent on hiring a consultant or other specific projects consistent with the language of the appropriation. The MLB will prioritize its needs and submit a proposed budget to FalmouthNet. FalmouthNet will submit that budget to the state, and will administer the earmark funds. Presumably this process will include informal collaboration between FalmouthNet and the MLB.

This earmark is an interim measure. Long-term, an article must be submitted to Town Meeting to fund the day-to-day operations of the MLB for the next year or two. Therefore, one of the immediate tasks of the MLB is to create a budget that can be tied to a proposed Town Meeting article.