Pittsfield residents may soon get faster internet at a lower price. Here’s how it will work … | Central Berkshires

PITTSFIELD — Residents soon may be able to enjoy internet speeds that make buffering a thing of the past.

The City Council on Tuesday voted 10-1 to allow AccessPlus to install a citywide fiber-optic network following a public hearing during which residents expressed both enthusiasm and concerns about safety and infrastructure.

Chaz Garrity, vice president of sales, gave a presentation on the company’s plan to bring to Pittsfield what he called “the fastest, most reliable fiber-optic network in the United States.”

Fiber optics is a technology that transmits data as pulses of light, opposed to electrical signals, through thin strands of glass or plastic fibers, which are typically located underground. It consumes much less energy than traditional systems, he said, and is immune to electromagnetic and radio frequency interference.

The service would offer high-speed fiber connections a lower cost than traditional providers, he said. Residential plans would be begin at $65 per month for speeds of 1 gigabit per second. 

Many residents and councilors embraced the idea of bringing more competition to Spectrum and Verizon, the city’s only current providers, to drive prices down.

“So this will be double the speed, and it will be cheaper than what Spectrum is offering,” said Councilor Patrick Kavey, noting a resident had just bemoaned paying $90 per month for 400 Mbps.

The project will be rolled out in phases over three years, with work taking place between April 2 and Nov. 15 each year, and permits reviewed by the city on an area-by-area basis. In downtown, AccessPlus will use existing Verizon conduits to avoid additional trenching and disruption, and will lay new conduit in other areas.

Phase one, which may begin immediately, will start with Wilson Park, Crawford Square, and North, Wahconah, West, South, Elm and East streets. 

However, South Street — like many others in the city — recently was repaved, so several residents were concerned about the impact that installing the fibers underground would have on the road and other infrastructure.

“That road has been torn up so many times, and now finally looks beautiful,” said Terry Carlo, who lives on a street off South Street. “I don’t understand why you’re even considering something like this when it’s going to tear up a road that you just got down.”

Garrity said while some streets may need to be dug up to install the cables, they will install them in right-of-way green spaces, like between the sidewalk and the road, wherever possible.

“It’s least disruptive. It allows us to move the fastest. It’s most aesthetically pleasing,” he said. “Typically, when that’s done through grass within two or three days, you didn’t even know it was there.”

No work will be done on private property unless a resident subscribes to the service and requests installation, and the cables will be installed deep enough that people’s driveways won’t be impacted, Garrity said.

In sensitive areas, such as near protected lands or native plantings, AccessPlus will use hand tools and consult directly with property owners to avoid damage, he added.

In response to questions from residents about the technology and its health effects, Garrity said it will not emit electromagnetic radiation and should not pose any harm to people or the environment.

“It’s literally light traveling through a piece of glass,” he said.

The notion of faster internet speeds piqued the interest of many residents who work from home and said the current speeds aren’t cutting it.

“I’m often in Zoom calls and get dropped, and my clients are not in Pittsfield,” said Leah Copperman, who works in technology. “I work with clients all over the country, so this is a really welcome infrastructure upgrade.”

Councilor James Conant, who cast the lone vote against the proposal, brought up issues with the lack of communication between the company and residents up to this point.

“I want to know why you didn’t have five or six public community outreach meetings to explain yourself [and answer] all these questions that we’re trying to jam through here,” he said. “As chairman of the Pittsfield Conservation Commission, I have no idea what you’re doing. I find that odd.”

Representatives said they are committed to improving communications by using multiple notification methods so residents can know what to expect, when work will happen, and how to get their questions answered.