Mt. Vernon voters to weigh in on high-speed internet project - Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel

MOUNT VERNON — Voters volition determine successful November whether to bring high-speed net to a municipality wherever officials accidental astir a 3rd of households person spotty net sum oregon nary work astatine all.

Mount Vernon residents are being asked whether they privation to due up to $3.1 cardinal for Matrix Design Group to conception a broadband network. If approved, the web could spell unrecorded successful precocious 2024 oregon aboriginal 2025.

The wide task is expected to outgo $5.1 cardinal and would let the municipality to accommodate to a aboriginal that is progressively babelike connected the net for amusement offerings, distant employment opportunities and adjacent definite healthcare services, according to officials successful favour of the proposal.

Matrix Design Group would lend $2 cardinal and lease the web to the town. Mount Vernon is besides applying for a $2 cardinal assistance done the Maine Connectivity Authority, and the municipality is seeking to enslaved the remaining $1.3 cardinal implicit 15 years.

“If we get a assistance of astir $2 cardinal dollars, Mount Vernon would get a enslaved of astir $1 cardinal dollars and Matrix would enactment successful $2 cardinal dollars,” said Carl Rosenberg, president of the Mount Vernon Broadband Committee.

Interest connected the bond, astatine a complaint of 4.5%, would outgo astir $515,048, bringing the full indebtedness work to $1,815,719, according to municipality officials.

If voters o.k. the ballot question, the municipality volition participate into a concern with Matrix Design Group, use for grants and get wealth and then, betwixt 2023 and 2024, negociate wherever the fibre volition beryllium strung. The work is expected to go disposable betwixt precocious 2024 and aboriginal 2025.

Customers would beryllium capable to take 1 of 4 antithetic options for service, according to a presumption shown to residents connected Oct. 22. Residents could wage $45 a period for a transportation with upload and download speeds of 50 megabit per second, oregon mbps; $55 per period for a 100 mbps connection; $75 per period for a 500 mbps connection; oregon $99 per period for a transportation with 1 gigabit per 2nd upload and download speeds.

About 30% of residents presently person mediocre work oregon nary work astatine each successful the Kennebec County municipality of astir 1,720 people, municipality officials said.

If less than 571 residents — astir however galore residents are without work present — subscribe, monthly rates would summation by $10 per month. Installation is escaped for the archetypal 571 pre-subscribers, aft which it volition outgo $400.

The work volition not beryllium municipally owned, but the municipality volition person the enactment to acquisition the web aft 5 years.

Rosenberg said the broadband committee received proposals from 4 antithetic net work providers: Redzone Wireless, Charter Communications, Axiom and Matrix Design Group. The radical past narrowed it down to Axiom and Matrix, arsenic they connection fiber-to-the-home, which is considered faster and much reliable than cable. The committee yet selected Matrix.

“[Matrix Design Group] has been successful the concern for 27 years, they truly cognize what they’re doing, and it’s been a bully relationship,” helium said. “With these kinds of things, it’s a semipermanent proposition; this is each astir the future. The fibre network, if it is built, is going to past 30 years oregon more. The narration with Matrix is going to spell for 20 years.”

Carl Rogers, a subordinate of some the town’s prime committee and broadband committee, said municipal and elected officials look to beryllium connected committee with bringing fibre to town.

“I judge we’re each connected committee with this project. We consciousness that it’s important for the community, particularly the younger members of the community,” helium said. “Going guardant I deliberation we expect not lone that it drives economical growth, meaning moving from home, preserving quality successful our town, but besides that we person the imaginable to clasp the children of our families successful a much section environment,” helium said.

Bob Grenier, Chairman of the Mount Vernon Select Board, said the municipality is hoping that this volition guarantee a higher prime of beingness for residents successful the coming decades.

“People are moving from location now,” helium said, “and besides healthcare is being driven by your internet. You’re doing healthcare astatine home. TV services are being streamed now, truthful determination are a batch of things pointing towards the aboriginal being linked to high-speed internet.”

In-person voting volition instrumentality spot Nov. 8 astatine the assemblage halfway astatine 2 Main St. from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

« Previous