Access to affordable, high speed internet has become increasingly important in recent years. Our shared experience during COVID-19 has underscored the critical need for universal high-speed internet access here in Falmouth. We do business online, we shop, go to school, access entertainment, communicate with friends and family, and even conduct telemedicine from the comfort of our homes. The bandwidth necessary for this level of universal connectivity is massive, and demand is only growing.
However, the residents of Falmouth have a problem. The cables that link our homes to the internet were never designed for the kind of traffic they are experiencing. Like the Bourne and Sagamore bridges, we are pushing massive amounts of data through old systems not meant to take the traffic, especially in summer. We must act now to reap the benefits that creating a modern fiber optic network can provide for our town. Federal and state leaders are debating broadband funding levels right now. An opportunity is fast approaching where we can lean forward to invest in our townâs future rather than let a company and their board dictate to us what level of service we will have.