TMLP’s Internet Service Group outlines network upgrades, fiber expansion plan and funding hurdles

Tom Worthington, presenting an Internet Service Group update to the Taunton Municipal Lighting Plant Commission on Sept. 16, described recent network investments, a staged plan for fiber-to-the-home expansion and the funding and regulatory limits that complicate a full rollout.

Worthington told commissioners ISG has implemented advanced DDoS protection, upgraded firewalls and a 100-gig backbone, and is replacing aging backbone segments and core routers. He said these upgrades have allowed ISG to expand bandwidth, add customer-facing features such as parental controls and antivirus, and reduce truck rolls by improving remote diagnostics.

Worthington said a proposed $1,000,000 state fiber grant sponsored by Representative Dougherty did not receive funding in the state budget, and that ISG continues to pursue other programs, naming the Massachusetts Broadband Institute, the Affordable Connectivity Program and the federal BEAD program. He also cited Massachusetts law (Chapter 164, section 58 as referenced in the presentation) to explain that TMLP cannot use electric ratepayer funds to subsidize projects “not related to electricity,” which constrains funding options.

On funding and scale, Worthington presented a high-level financial picture: retained earnings of about $2 million from 2022–2024 and participation in roughly $1.3 million of municipal grants across partner towns (Berkeley, Dighton, Freetown, Lakeville, Raynham and Taunton). He said a prior full-rollout estimate was about $67 million and that roughly $10 million in capital investment would have been necessary to begin generating a return; he said the Taunton-only portion of the $67 million build was about $40 million and that a Taunton initial capital estimate may have been near $7 million but he would need to verify documentation.

Worthington described a staged technical approach: build a ring using existing fiber where possible, design and install POPs along that path, equip the POPs, and then construct ‘fiberhoods’ that service clusters of homes. He estimated a typical fiberhood serving 150–250 houses could cost roughly $200,000–$300,000 if backbone capacity already exists, while backbone miles can cost materially more (presentation estimate: about $80,000 per backbone mile, with the caveat that numbers may be dated).

Commissioners asked targeted questions about neighborhood rollout timelines and costs; Worthington said ISG will prioritize neighborhoods that produce higher returns and combine retained earnings, grants and partnerships to expand. Commissioners voted to receive and place the presentation on file.

The commission also accepted a plaque from the Taunton Area Chamber recognizing 20 years of ISG membership.