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Working-group member suggests exploring data centers as leverage for citywide broadband investment
Summary
A working-group participant who serves on a planning board urged city officials to evaluate data centers as a potential revenue and infrastructure lever to support citywide broadband, but other members warned about environmental justice and community impacts.
A working-group member suggested on Aug. 12 that Springfield could explore permitting data centers as a way to generate revenue and infrastructure commitments that might fund broader broadband deployment.
“I'm on the planning board for Shrewsbury, and ... with the growth of AI comes the need for these mega installations,” Michael (staff member) said. He described data centers as high‑demand facilities that “are, by definition, needing high speed Internet connections” and…
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