Broadband concerns put private providers in spotlight
Published: 2/18/2021 12:31:45 PM
BOSTON In a pandemic that has forced many aspects of daily life online from work to school to doctor’s appointments efforts to build out broadband infrastructure still face challenges, with private providers hesitant to invest in some unserved areas and lawmakers calling for the internet to be treated more like a public service going forward.
“There is no way that the state has done enough to close the gap, the digital divide in the commonwealth that used to apply mostly in our minds to rural and underserved areas,” Sen. Adam Hinds, D-Pittsfield, said. “And now the emergency of the digital divide in our downtowns is even more apparent.”
WRTA board votes to extend fare suspension through June
Updated Feb 18, 2021;
The Worcester Regional Transit Authority Advisory Board voted Thursday morning to extend the suspension of fare collection through June.
The motion passed 8-0, with an abstention coming from WRTA Advisory Board chairperson William J. Lehtola. As it stands, fares will resume on July 1.
The discussion Thursday morning centered around the allocation of the $37.2M the WRTA received in COVID relief funds from the CARES Act. Advocates for a fare-free system, many from the Zero-Fare WRTA coalition, have been promoting using the funds to continue a suspension of fare collection.
Broadband concerns put private providers in spotlight berkshireeagle.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from berkshireeagle.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Support for zero-fare WRTA continues to grow as Mass. Audubon Society urges city to extend fare suspension
Updated Jan 26, 2021;
More support continues to roll in for an extension of the Worcester Regional Transit Authority’s suspension of fares.
The Mass. Audubon Society is the latest organization to vocalize its support for an extension of the WRTA’s fare free policy, which was enacted last March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Last week, the WRTA Advisory Board debated continuing the fare-free policy or reinstating fares. As it stands, fares will resume on March 1. The board will vote on the future of the fare-free service at its next meeting. In the meantime, WRTA’s finance subcommittee will meet to review a budget for CARES Act money that was awarded to the WRTA and determine if the funds are eligible for use for a permanent zero-fare service.