LEVERETT, MA – Leverett, Mass., a town of about 2,000 people, passed a referendum this week by a vote of 426 to 90 authorizing it to finance an FTTH network for the use of residents. The referendum authorized a bond issue of $3.6 million, which will raise property taxes by an estimated 6 percent, and Leverett is also applying for Rural Utilities Service funding.

Using funds awarded under a grant from the Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI), Leverett contracted with G4S Technology to design an FTTH network to connect to the MBI middle-mile network. The MBI network will be available in mid-2013, and Leverett expects to have its last-mile network ready at the same time. It is soliciting bids to build and operate the network.