@Hooks_Ciara
NEW BRITAIN – The construction of a 175-mile fiber optic internet network provided by GoNetspeed, a high-speed fiber internet provider, throughout New Britain will begin in early January 2023.
“The city entered into this unique public-private partnership with GoNetspeed as a way to alleviate the struggles so many of our residents experienced due to the digital divide, which was exacerbated during the pandemic,” Mayor Erin Stewart said. “This project will bring an affordable high speed internet option to every resident, which is critical to the quality of life for our families and students.”
30,000 families and businesses will have the ability to have access to the network once the project is completed.
“We are excited to bring connectivity to the entire city of New Britain,” said Tom Perrone, GoNetspeed’s chief operating officer. “Whether we are providing first-time fiber access to a customer or offering a choice of internet service providers, New Britain residents and businesses win.”
GoNetspeed won the New Britain City-Wide Fiber Project bid in June 2022, resulting in Connecticut’s first and most extensive public-private fiber optic internet partnership. This is significant because when completed, all municipal buildings and traffic points will be interconnected on its own private fiber network. This will improve the services that multiple city departments and public safety personnel are able to provide to New Britain residents.
The project will cost over $10 million. It is funded through private investment from GoNetspeed and through the City of New Britain’s American Rescue Plan Act funding that was awarded for the specific use of helping residents overcome the challenges that came with the covid-19 pandemic.
Residents can expect to see GoNetspeed trucks in the area hanging fiber on telephone poles beginning on Jan. 3. The buildout of the fiber network will begin in the south end of the New Britain and it will take about six months to wire the city.
