Fiber Optic System may not save you money
Update on fiber optic system that the Town of Fairhaven wants to put in residents’ homes. This is a personal post of information I have researched. There are just under 31,000 towns and cities in the United States. To date 521 have their own cable system. The first cost to residents would be anywhere from $800.00 to $1000.00 to put a WiFi node to the outside of your house. Another $800.00 to wire your house for faster speeds and direct connection.
Now the advantage of owning your own cable system is you can pick any internet provider. Calling 6 communities in 5 States the average cost for internet ONLY was $45 a month with blazing speeds.
Next you might want a home phone number like I do. The cell service in Fairhaven is terrible. The cheapest plan I found was $52.00 with taxes for unlimited calling. The next thing you need is cable channels. The cheapest plan I found was for $79.95 for 60 channels 2 DVR recorders. Add the three together it’s over $170.00 per month. I now pay $164.50 per month and have blast internet, home phone and 120 channels and three DVR recorders.
This Fiber optic system would save me no money and lose 60 plus channels. I don’t need faster internet in my house. Maybe a business would profit from this but not a town resident.
Also because we don’t own the telephone poles, the fiber optic system would have to pay $50.00 per pole each month on poles we run wires to!!
I, as a town meeting member, would not want to spend anymore money on this concept. I will be speaking against this at our next Town meeting!
Gary Lavalette, Fairhaven
•••
Support local journalism, donate to the Neighb News with PayPal.
Click here to download the entire 4/1/21 issue: 04-01-21 Bijou
