By Andrew Thomson

A few weeks ago, I sat at the counter in the Berkshire Country Store drinking my morning coffee and was approached by Norfolk Now to write an article about the initiative to bring a fiber optic connection to every house in town. As a millenial, I have realized that my age has become synonymous with technology, social media, and connectivity. What is broadband? What is fiber optic? And isn’t my internet good enough already? With that, I finished my coffee. Time to get wired.

To answer these questions, let’s take a step back and look at the recent history of wired communication. Since the modernization of digital communication in the late 20th century, the number of internet users has grown tremendously. Businesses are moving more and more of their advertising and public relations online, education is implementing more complex technologies in the classroom, and even our records are being preserved and presented in digital formats. Aetna, the Connecticut-based insurance giant, is shifting its company structure with telecommuting in mind for its newer employees. But for that, we need to be connected.

At the head of the connectivity race is fiber optic internet, which boasts speed and reliability over the older cable and satellite providers, but why fiber optic? Isn’t my broadband or cable good enough? The short answer is yes, but I sat down with Bill Brown of the Northwest ConneCT initiative, and I have sinced changed my mind.

Fiber optic is to internet as email is to snail mail. Sure, we still send packages and letters to each other, but email and othe forms of digital messaging represent the number one form of communication in the business world. In the coming years, businesses will start to operate at fiber optic speeds; we’re already seeing implementation in major cities. When fiber optic becomes the new norm, where will Norfolk be?

Northwest ConneCT, led by Kim Maxwell, is pushing to get Norfolk onto the forefront of the fiber optic revolution. While most of the language surrounding that idea can be a bit flowery, there are a few important takeaways. First, the plan to bring fiber optic connectivity to Norfolk is based on the idea that with advances in communicative technology comes business growth and financial sustainability. If we’re the first town in our region to offer fiber optic connectivity, we can expect more willingness from telecommuting-oriented businesses to operate here; why move closer to the big city when you can enjoy the Norfolk scenery AND work from home? 

Who gets fiber optic and who pays for it? Basically, everyone. Northwest ConneCT has plans to cover the high cost of bringing the tech to town by spreading it over the entire residential base via taxes. An extra $20 per month per household sounds costly, but many residents are paying upwards of $75 per month for a slower and less reliable internet. According to Brown, the fiber optic model must be based on universal service for it to work. There will be some pushback, however. Consider familes without children paying taxes to support Botelle.

So is fiber optic worth it? Come to one of Northwest ConneCT’s forums and decide for yourself. But rest easy knowing that if the town supports the endeavor, we can expect the endeavor to support the town.