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Selectboard weighs Fidium fiber/phone proposal and ARPA funds to offset costs
Summary
Board discussed a Fidium fiber installation to support town phones and internet; installation has no upfront cost but recurring service would be about $4,200–$4,800 annually and ARPA tech funds of roughly $3,000 might help cover initial costs. Members debated reliability and alternatives with Comcast/Xfinity.
Selectboard members reviewed a proposal from Fidium for a fiberoptic upgrade to the Town Office phone and internet systems. The initial installation reportedly carries no direct charge to the town, but ongoing service would cost approximately $4,200–$4,800 per year; the town has about $3,000 in ARPA funds for tech upgrades that could offset costs but may have timing restrictions to spend by December (the board discussed whether those funds had previously been moved into the general fund).
Members expressed concerns about Fidium’s reliability and service downtime compared with Comcast/Xfinity, and discussed rental advantages for phones (replacement service). Town Administrator Tommy O’Connor and others agreed to run diagnostics on current internet performance and to contact Comcast to see whether higher municipal service levels or alternative pricing could be obtained before committing to a new vendor.
