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Renee outlines state-funded fiber build and town digital-training plan
Summary
Renee told the Sheffield Select Board the state awarded a grant that will fund Verizon to wire the town with fiber by December 2026, and described a Senior Planet partnership to deliver free digital-literacy classes, a Spanish-language track, a Sept. 1 survey and outreach at the Sheffield Fair on Sept. 6.
Renee said the state awarded a grant to Verizon that will wire Sheffield with fiber, with construction expected to finish by December 2026, though she said the timetable for Verizon to begin offering service to residents is not yet known.
"We will have fiber in all of the town at no expense to the town and that there will be competition," Renee said, describing the state-funded build through the MBI digital-equity effort.
The town submitted an implementation and cost package at the end of July and "squeezed every bit" of the roughly $56,500 award into that plan, leaving $22.71 unspent, Renee said. The board will await MBI approval of the implementation plan and any additional funds.
Renee said the town has signed a no-cost agreement with Older Adult Technology Services (OATS) and Senior Planet, an AARP partner, to provide online lectures, classes and technical support. She said the program will include up to five hours per month of instructor-led sessions at the library and senior center, remote trainers for most classes, a technical hotline, and options for drop-in and one-on-one help. Training is expected to start around Nov. 1 and continue into the following year.
The town has also contracted a Spanish-language instructor, Jim Hall, to deliver basic operating-system classes outside the library and senior-center offerings, Renee said. The Select Board will distribute a public survey beginning Sept. 1 to assess resident interests and will staff an outreach table at the Sheffield Fair on Sept. 6.
Board members encouraged prompt public notice about the build and training opportunities; one member said residents were already asking about Verizon activity in town. Renee cautioned she does not yet have details of the state’s contract with Verizon and cannot confirm when service will be available in individual neighborhoods.
The Select Board took no formal vote on services or vendor selection at the meeting and will await further notice from MBI and the vendor on service start dates.
