Springfield — GoNet Speed representatives told the Springfield City Council’s Maintenance and Development Committee on Sept. 1 that the company intends a phased, citywide build of fiber broadband and that it has already invested in initial work but faces permit and pole-attachment delays that could slow full deployment.

The company described a multi-phase plan that it says will eventually pass 60,000 locations in Springfield and includes an initial $54 million to $55 million commitment to the first phase, which the company described as the green and blue areas on its maps. John Dellihan, GoNet Speed government affairs, said, “we are looking to pass 60,000 locations, and that's a commitment of $54,000,000 of our own money. That equates to 428 miles of fiber.”

Councilors said they welcomed competition to Comcast but repeatedly pressed GoNet Speed and city staff for concrete guarantees that buildout will not concentrate service only in higher-income neighborhoods. “Our intentions were never to stop there,” Chris Brooks, senior director of operations at GoNet Speed, told the committee when asked about phased buildout. Multiple councilors sought a binding timeline and benchmarks for expansion to lower-income wards.

Why it matters: Springfield completed a digital equity analysis this year and councilors said they do not want a private rollout that deepens service disparities. Several members raised the risk that the first provider to deploy through parts of the city can deter other competitors from building into remaining neighborhoods.

What the company said: GoNet Speed presented maps showing phased areas (green and blue for the initial phase, red/yellow/purple for subsequent phases) and described technical and contractual constraints. Company representatives said much of the delay is beyond their direct control because attachments to utility poles are governed by pole owners Eversource and Verizon and by a make‑ready process that can require pole replacements or relocation of existing wires.

Chris Brooks said the company is lobbying at the state level for “one-touch make-ready” rules to speed attachments and asked the city to endorse that legislation. A GoNet representative added the firm is already paying for make-ready work and pole applications: “we've invested our funds” to apply for pole work and to pay make‑ready costs, the company said.

City staff view: Chris Signoli, director of Public Works, told the committee the DPW has no construction concerns about the company’s underground conduit proposals. Signoli told councilors the conduit runs proposed are similar in size to other underground infrastructure work and that the DPW would require restoration of disturbed areas and would not permit tree removal solely to place conduit.

Community benefits and open questions: GoNet Speed committed to several community measures, including free connections at libraries for three years where the network is live, a 30% discount for municipal buildings and free digital-literacy classes at senior centers and nonprofits. The company also said it offers residential plans with symmetrical speeds and that installation and the router are free on typical installations.

Outstanding questions from councilors included: the exact price point and how it compares to existing low-cost options; whether the company will reserve workforce opportunities for local contractors; clear, time-bound benchmarks or take-rate thresholds that will trigger expansion to later phases; and a firm resolution of the discrepancy in presentation numbers ($54 million vs. $55 million for phase spending).

Next steps: Committee members were told the pole-attachment permits that were on the July agenda will be placed on the full council agenda for Sept. 15. DPW staff said they will continue outreach to Eversource to seek better timelines. GoNet Speed asked for an ongoing, open dialogue with city officials and invited municipal endorsement of state-level one-touch make-ready legislation to speed attachments.

The meeting contained lengthy technical discussion but no formal votes on the GoNet Speed applications. Councilors asked staff to bring the pending applications back to the full council on Sept. 15 for action.