Weymouth, Quincy Consider Municipal Broadband Infrastructure

WEYMOUTH, MA — Weymouth Mayor Robert Hedlund and Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch have entered discussions about the possibility of creating a joint municipal broadband infrastructure involving fiber optic technology. Both mayors were re-elected on Tuesday. The new broadband infrastructure would serve approximately 150,000 residents spanning both communities.

Weymouth is currently served by Comcast through a 10-year agreement that began before Hedlund's tenure as mayor, town officials say. Both Hedlund and Koch have said that they hear frequent comments from constituents regarding the need for more flexibility in coverage options and rates due to lack of competition in private providers.

To help resolve this issue, Quincy has began looking into implementing a public option for providing fiber optic infrastructure, with the goal of increasing competition among internet service providers and ultimately lowering prices. The ultimate goal would be to provide internet service to residents for $50 a month.

Weymouth is looking to explore a similar effort and potentially collaborate with Quincy, town officials said.

"As access to reliable broadband and internet becomes a necessity for a 21st century business or even just a homeowner, we need to start exploring ways to address this growing demand in our communities by expanding infrastructure and opening it up as an equal opportunity for providers," said Hedlund. "Overall, the ultimate goal is improvement for residents. By leveraging an economy of scale and cost with a joint or concurrent approach with Quincy, I believe this could be a viable option worth exploring for the betterment of the communities."